Texas Historical Commission

The Texas Historical Commission is an agency that helps protect important historic places in Texas. It works to save buildings, sites, and landmarks that show the history of Texas. The commission takes care of the National Register of Historic Places for special places in Texas.

It also gives special awards to important places called Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks and puts up signs to tell people about their history. The commission shares news and ideas about saving historic places in a magazine called The Medallion and keeps an online map with information about historic sites in Texas.

The main office of the Texas Historical Commission is located in the Capitol Complex in downtown Austin. This area includes important buildings such as the Carrington-Covert House, Luther Hall, Gethsemane Lutheran Church, Elrose Building, and the Christianson-Leberman Building.

History of the Commission

The Texas Historical Commission started in 1953 when the state made a group called the Texas State Historical Survey Committee. This group watched over historical programs in Texas. Later, the state changed the group's rules to give it more protection, a bigger leadership role, and more educational work. The group was renamed the Texas Historical Commission. In 2007, the state moved the care of 20 historic sites from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to the Texas Historical Commission.

Personnel

The Texas Historical Commission has about 350 workers. Its leaders are 15 people chosen by the governor and approved by the senate. They serve for six years and must live in Texas, representing different parts of the state.

Workers at the commission come from many areas, like archeology, architecture, and history. They work with people and groups to protect important buildings, places, and traditions in Texas. The agency has several groups to help manage its work, including Administration, Archeology, Architecture, and more. There are also boards that help guide the commission's activities.

Texas Heritage Trails Program

The Texas Historical Commission runs a travel program called the Texas Heritage Trails. It began in 1998 and uses ten driving areas across Texas. These areas were first picked in 1968 by the Texas Department of Transportation and Governor John Connally for a big fair in San Antonio, Texas called HemisFair '68. The program helps people visit important historic places and learn about Texas’s past.

The ten heritage regions are:

• Texas Brazos Trail
• Texas Forest Trail
• Texas Forts Trail
• Texas Hill Country Trail
• Texas Independence Trail
• Texas Lakes Trail
• Texas Mountain Trail
• Texas Pecos Trail
• Texas Plains Trail
• Texas Tropical Trail

In 2005, this program won a special award called the Preserve America Presidential Award for its work in saving and using Texas’s historic places.

State Historic Sites

Main article: List of Texas State Historic Sites

The Texas Historical Commission looks after 41 special historic places across Texas. These places help us learn about Texas's past. They include spots where American Indians lived, old forts, homes, and places important to leaders. These sites bring history to life for everyone.

One of these sites, Fort Griffin, is home to the official State of Texas Longhorn Herd.

Historical Markers

People and groups can ask to put up special signs called historical markers. These signs come in different types and sizes. They help people learn about important places and stories.

To get a marker, they need to fill out an application that follows certain rules.

In November 2006, the Texas Historical Commission changed how these markers are given out. Now, all applications must be sent online. There is a certain time of year to apply, and a small fee is needed. The way the signs are made has changed. By 2007, more than 13,000 of these special signs had been placed all around Texas. This made Texas have the most historical markers of any state in the United States.

Recorded Texas Historic Landmark

Main article: Recorded Texas Historic Landmark

The Recorded Texas Historic Landmark is a special title given by the Texas Historical Commission to important buildings in Texas. It means these places have a big history and are important to protect.

State Antiquities Landmark

The Texas Historical Commission can name special places as State Antiquities Landmarks if they are not on federal land. These places might be historic buildings that are also on the National Register of Historic Places and are open to the public. They can also be special archaeological sites whose locations are kept secret to keep them safe.

Having this special name does not stop someone from changing or destroying these places. But before any changes can happen, a permit is needed. The public can share their thoughts about it with the Texas Historical Commission.

Headquarters complex

The Texas Historical Commission has its main offices in the Austin Complex in downtown Austin. This area includes important buildings such as the Carrington-Covert House at 1511 Colorado Street, Luther Hall, the Gethsemane Lutheran Church, the Elrose Building, and the Christianson-Leberman Building.

The Carrington-Covert House became the agency's headquarters in 1971. The Gethsemane Lutheran Church was restored and started being used for offices in 1970 and 1971.

Friends of the Texas Historical Commission

The Friends of the Texas Historical Commission is a nonprofit group started in 1996. It helps the Texas Historical Commission by finding money from private sources to support its work in saving and protecting history. This includes projects like digging up old ships and battle sites, and restoring important buildings and flags.

In the past twenty years, this group has helped bring in more than $10 million for many important history projects in Texas.