Hurricane Harvey Prompts Preservation

The Texas Legislature assembled over $9 million to preserve, restore, and study damaged buildings and sites as a result of Hurricane Harvey. The Texas Legislature authorized the Texas Historical Commission, Texas Preservation Trust Fund to award this money to the most worthwhile preservation projects. I was elected by the Commission to serve on the professional advisory board which reviewed the 50 projects applying for the grants and the staff evaluations and background on each project that were candidates to receive these resources. This board included a place for two architects, two archeologists, two preservationists, two non-profit organization preservationists, one lawyer, and a real estate broker, which is the place I filled. The Texas Preservation Trust Fund staff is dedicated and knowledgeable. They provided fabulous information on each site that ranged from monumental county courthouses, to one-room frame schoolhouses, to private residences, to abandoned cemeteries. The conversations, thoughts and discussion of the board were vigorous, interesting, and collegial. I was pleased to be able to second a motion that directed a majority of the funds and make a motion that also passed prioritizing the distribution of the funds for the incredible worthwhile projects that did not score as high. It is always disappointing to see historic and architectural buildings and sites compromised but it is encouraging to see how much money is being discharged to put these buildings and sites back in good or better order. *Hurricane Harvey Prompts Preservation
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