15 Dec National Trust Awards Planning Grant To The Chisholm Trail Heritage Museum
Cuero’s historic first school, the English-German school (c. 1877), was saved from a scheduled demolition by the City of Cuero and moved to the Museum grounds in September 2014. The building will be restored and preserved with grant funds and used for Museum functions.
CUERO, TEXAS (December 15, 2014) — The Chisholm Trail Heritage Museum is proud to announce the award of a $4,800 planning grant by the National Trust for Historic Preservation from the Fondren Preservation Fund. Resources from this grant — generously matched by a private charitable foundation — will be used to prepare the future restoration plans and adapted use for the Registered Texas Historic Landmark, English-German School, saved from demolition earlier this year by the Museum.
“Organizations like the Chisholm Trail Heritage Museum, help to ensure that communities and towns all across America retain their unique sense of place,” said Stephanie Meeks, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “We are honored to provide a grant to the Chisholm Trail Heritage Museum, which will use the funds to help preserve an important piece of our shared national heritage.”
Cuero’s historic English-German School (ca. 1877) was gifted to the CTHM by Mr. Richard Mundt of Victoria, the great-grandson of Professor O.E.H. Mundt, who came from Germany in the late 19th-Century to teach English to German immigrants who settled in Cuero. Slated for demolition by the City of Cuero, several CTHM board members teamed together to provide the necessary funding to move the school onto museum property. Cory Boemer, CTHM executive director remarked, “Just as the schoolhouse provided that all-important place for learning, preservation planning grants are essential to determining the sustainable use of an historic structure. A special committee of the Museum’s board members will collaborate with Lewis Fisher—noted restoration architect of San Antonio—to create a roadmap for rehabilitating the school, while establishing a plan for its long-term adaptive use.”
Grants from the National Trust Preservation Funds range from $2,500 to $5,000 and have provided over $15 million since 2003. These matching grants are awarded to nonprofit organizations and public agencies across the county to support a wide-range of activities, including consultant services for rehabilitating buildings, technical assistance for tourism that promotes historic resources and the development of materials for education and outreach campaigns.
Inspired leadership, vision and perseverance on the part of the English-German School’s CTHM preservation committee will surely produce yet another local treasure, preserving and portraying a significant piece of Texas’ history. The planning process is scheduled to commence early 2015.