What an odd 15 months it’s been. The Friends of the San Felipe de Austin State Historic Site wanted to reassure stakeholders that things are starting to normalize. Hopefully, visitors return to the historic site in full swing this summer, or certainly by the fall if you’re waiting for cooler weather.

Courthouse Fire

Most of you are aware that there was an unfortunate setback in developing the outdoor Villa de Austin exhibit. In early April, a fire destroyed the courthouse building and significant exhibit furnishings and related support. Things are moving forward with a rebuild plan and hopefully the new exhibit will open later this year.

Last week, the Executive Board for the Friends approved some financial support for the rebuild project to help ensure this progresses as quickly as possible. A check totaling nearly $7,000 was released to the Friends of the Texas Historical Commission from an account previously pledged to support the exhibit. In addition, $25,000 from the historic site operations support account was pledged on an as-needed basis to keep this project on track.

The Executive Board and site staff met to discuss their confidence that this commitment would not cause any substantial operational hiccups in the coming months – typically the site staff have been utilizing incoming annual support for exhibits and programs, so the overall holdings of the Friends have been consistent for the past decade.

Annual Meeting Monday, September 20 at 6:00 p.m.

Last year’s annual meeting was a small, COVID-impacted affair. For 2021, the Friends are pleased to announce the intent to share a sneak-peek at the new outdoor exhibit – the Villa de Austin. As has been the case in recent years, this annual meeting will be open to the public. Please make a point to bring a guest who would be interested in the efforts. More details coming soon.

Printing Press Donation for the Villa

A wonderful addition to the outdoor exhibit project was a replica Ramage press donated by John Horn, of Little Rock, Arkansas. A printer and collector, John had spearheaded the building of a Ramage replica for the Arkansas Territorial Restoration around 1990 and also had one made for himself. That press was the one generously donated for the print shop in the Villa de Austin exhibit. This is a fabulous addition and is sure to be a hit with visitors.

Upcoming Temporary Exhibits

This summer, the “Certificates of Character” exhibition will open which will help visitors navigate the history of the town of San Felipe de Austin through the eyes of actual residents and through their connections to each other. In early 2022, a Josey Store Museum retrospective will be opening.