2017 Annual ReportHistoric PreservationCommittee

City of College Station, Texas

Prior to incorporation of the city, Texas A&M Faculty were housed on campus.

Shortly after incorporation, many of these houses were moved into the local community.

In 2017, the HPC produced a booklet identifying existing faculty homes and their locations in the city.

The pamphlet has a map of the location of the houses for those wanting to take a driving tour

and includes a photograph and a short description of most of the homes.

Work began in 2017 on a revision of the 1988 book on the History of College station. The original author was hired by the city to begin that project.

In addition, a reprint of the now out-of-print original edition was authorized and completed, but the format was changed from horizontal to vertical.

It is hoped that the revised edition may be completed in 2018. We have recommended that the new book include images within the text.

Two historic home markers were approved during 2017 for presentation at this meeting. One authorized re-issuance of a marker for the first home to be designated with a marker, the other for the home of Dr. O.D. Butler.

As you can see, houses designated with one of these historical plaques are a source of pride for their owners and residents.

Revisions to the American Mile proposed in 2016 were installed in 2017 and a few replacement bricks are scheduled to be installed in 2018. There have been changes made and more years added.

The year 1822 is no longer devoid of entries but in fact now contains four: Denmark Vesey plans slave rebellion in South Carolina; Jose Trespalacios appointed governor of Texas; Jared Groce brings first cottonseed into Texas; and the Texas National Bank of San Antonio becomes the first chartered bank west of the Mississippi River.

All historical events in the Brazos Valley do not fall under our purview, but as a committee we do participate in various events.

Most of you were with us for the dedication of the statue of Rosie the Riveter and for the addition of names to the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial.

We did, as a committee, participate at Boonville Days at the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History. We displayed tools, kitchen utensils, firearms, books, and other period appropriate materials.

We also had butter churning available at our booth.

I always enjoy visiting the other booths to see what is new (or old).

This year I was able to pose for my obituary picture, scratching one more thing off of my to-do list.

For a second year, we continued our distribution of historical magazines and literature at doctor’s offices and waiting rooms at other businesses.

Our hope is that citizens will pick up these periodicals rather than the usual glamour fare available and thereby perhaps develop an interest in the history of our country and our community.

Exploring History LuncheonsThis is our most popular and prominent program. For a fee of seven dollars, individuals can come, enjoy a catered lunch, and listen to an expert talk on some historical topic. These are held once a month from January through November.Despite disruptions caused by the necessity of changing meeting locations, we attracted an average attendance of 71 per luncheon. Our total costs were higher for 2017 than for 2016, but still lower than for 2015. It is hoped that in 2018 with the reduced cost of meeting rooms that we might come close to breaking even.Details on cost are included in the written report.

Plans/Recommendations for 2018

The Historic Preservation Committee will continue its Exploring History Luncheon series with eleven monthly programs.

We will encourage applications for the historic homes/buildings markers and perhaps develop a streamlined on-line application process. We would like to receive applications from some of the older businesses such as Aggieland Flowers, or maybe Easterwood Airport.

We plan to continue the distribution of historical literature to waiting rooms in area businesses.

Cooperative efforts with Project HOLD, the Brazos Valley Veterans Association, and the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History will remain a high priority.

New Programs for 2018

It has been five years since we celebrated College Station’s 75th

anniversary, and in October of 2018 the city will turn 80. We hope to celebrate this with a low-cost event and will include other cooperating organizations within the city.

Discussion began this past week with representatives of the A&M Garden Club who have proposed it being hosted at the Richard Carter home site.

A new project—a pamphlet or web-based resource highlighting the founders and famous citizens buried in the city cemetery will be considered for 2018. It will highlight the careers and impacts of those now interred there.

Resources exist for information on where individuals are buried as well as their dates of birth and death. We would like to develop a resource which can provide additional information on their lives and contributions.

Input received from citizens of the community indicate an interest in developing signage dealing with the history of the streets and parks in College Station, particularly in the historical areas of the city such as Southgate.

A fourth project we would like to be involved with is the establishment of a museum for the City of College Station. Since one has been proposed to house the Aggies Go to War display, we see it as a potential place to showcase the history of our city. We will look to the City Council for leadership in this area since it would involve considerable capital outlay.

A final recommendation is for the City Council to consider combining the duties of the Landmark Commission with those of the HPC.

In summary, the Historic Preservation Committee is a working group committed to the preservation and expansion of understanding of the history of this community.We appreciate the support and cooperation of both Project HOLD (in the City Secretary’s Office) and the Director and Staff of the Parks and Recreation Department. Without them, our accomplishments would have been meager at best. We also thank Marci Rodgers for her years of service on the Exploring History Luncheons.