The Medallion, Volume 48, Number 5-6, May/June 2011 Page: 6
19 p. : col. ill. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Brownsville: A Winning Combination
of Preservation and TourismThis Place Matters! Travel Matters!
Most Texas preservationists and travel
industry professionals recognize
these phrases, and they likely
have participated in the associated
campaigns from the National Trust
for Historic Preservation and National
Travel and Tourism Week. These
initiatives raise awareness about
the importance of preservation and
tourism to local economies and
community character.
In Brownsville, the benefits of
using preservation and tourism as an
economic generator have merged into
an award-winning combination for
residents and visitors in this vibrant
South Texas city. This distinctive
blend prompted the Texas Historical
Commission (THC), in partnership
with the Office of the First Lady, to
recognize Brownsville with
- the 2011 First Lady's Texas
Treasures Award.
This award, now in its
third year, honors Texas
communities demonstrating
a high level of creativity and
ingenuity in identifying and
-j preserving their authentic
"sense of place.
/7 . \ Awarded communities
collaborate locally
with preservation,
historical, and
cultural organizations
as well as city and
county offices. This
collaboration is
manifested in wide-
Sranging participation
JDSE FERNANOEZ in THC programs,
while continuallyeducating residents and strengthening
the community's preservation ethic.
The preservation accomplishments
in Brownsville are multi-faceted, from
the iconic 1912 Cameron County
Courthouse to significant military sites
to diverse historic neighborhoods
and cemeteries. In particular, the
2007 courthouse restoration through
the THC's Texas Historic Courthouse
Preservation Program reaffirms the
building's emotional significance for
Brownsville residents.
"I want to thank the First Lady for
sponsoring this truly deserved award,"
said Sen. Eddie Lucio of Brownsville.
"The courthouse has a special place
in my heart. I first worked there as a
24-year-old. What I saw then and see
now is a beautiful building. It had been
deteriorating, but thanks to the work of
former county judges, numerous civic
organizations, and the Texas Historical
Commission, it has been restored."
Another local preservation success
story is the renovation of the 1937
George Kraigher House, designed by
internationally renowned architect
Richard Neutra. Included on both
Preservation Texas' and America's
Most Endangered Historic Places
in 2004, the city worked with the
University of Texas at Brownsville and
Texas Southmost College (UTB/TSC)
to save this modern jewel, allowing
students enrolled in the historic
building restoration program to receive
hands-on preservation experience.
Through this program, student
craftsmen have assisted with the
rehabilitation of nearly a dozen historic
community and campus properties.
In 2010, Brownsville's Old City
Cemetery and Hebrew Cemetery
were listed in the National Register of
Historic Places as a result of extensivevolunteer research. The cemeteries
are sources of great community pride
and serve as vital links to the strength
and determination of Brownsville's
early residents. In addition, Old City
Cemetery's grounds and monuments,
designated a Historic Texas Cemetery
through the THC's Cemetery
Preservation Program, are maintained
through participation in the THC's RIP
Guardian program.
Preservation Draws
Heritage Tourists
As a result of collective dedication
and vision, preservation is palpable
in Brownsville, which was designated
a Preserve America community in
2009. Creative local champions have
leveraged long-term preservation
practices into an organized and
well-facilitated heritage tourism
infrastructure.
The Brownsville Historical
Association, in particular, has
contributed 63 years of leadership
in helping preserve Brownsville's
important historic settings. The group,
along with the City of Brownsville
and the Brownsville Community
Improvement Corporation, partnered
to receive a $132,870 federal Preserve
America grant in 2007 to develop a
GIS-based interactive web application
and place street-scene photo murals,
informational kiosks, and bilingual
signage at historically significant
resources. Self-guided walking and
driving tour brochures are available for
six areas of town, and visitors can rent
an MP3 player for guided audio tours
of the cemetery, courthouse, Fort
Brown, and other notable sites.
With funding from a 2010 THC
Heritage Tourism Partnership Grant,
UTB/TSC will debut a permanent
www.thc.state.tx.us'iii
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Texas Historical Commission. The Medallion, Volume 48, Number 5-6, May/June 2011, periodical, May 2011; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth309007/m1/6/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Historical Commission.