Preservation Texas Institute Library
The Preservation Texas Institute Library will be a cornerstone of our Tehuacana campus and a permanent storehouse of knowledge devoted to the state’s architectural and cultural heritage. Housed in historic, wood-paneled fourth-floor rooms that originally served as the home of Trinity University's literary societies in the 1890s, the library will offer an inspiring atmosphere for research and reflection with sweeping views of the surrounding countryside, far removed from the sterile, fluorescent-lit institutional environments found elsewhere. The Institute's Library, as a place, will embody the belief that preservation is not just about protecting places, but about creating environments that invite engagement with history.
Above is a 1898 photo of the Trinity University literary society room on the fourth floor of Texas Hall, courtesy of Elizabeth Huth Coates Library Special Collections & Archives, Trinity University. This room will be restored for the future Preservation Texas Institute Library.
In recent years it served as a library, and while the space has been altered and neglected, its historic fabric remains largely intact, as seen in the February 2025 photograph above.
The Library will serve four primary purposes. First, it will stand as a permanent storehouse of knowledge, safeguarding books, manuscripts, maps, photographs, and archival materials that document and interpret Texas history within statewide, regional, national, and international contexts. Second, it will serve the research needs of Preservation Texas staff while providing the resources needed to advance the Institute’s preservation and education mission. Third, it will inspire and support writers, historians, and preservationists in residence at the Institute, giving them access to both rare materials and a setting that fosters concentration and creativity. Fourth, it will provide the foundation for special exhibitions exploring the history of books and the craft of history in Texas, drawing from the library’s own collection.
Subjects will range from architecture, community heritage, and cultural landscapes to art history, decorative arts, literature and poetry, agriculture, the natural environment, law, politics, and the philosophy and economics of preservation. Certain Institute residency positions will be reserved for local historians, giving them both the resources and the dignified setting needed to advance their work. Natural light, open shelving, and generous windows with sweeping views will reinforce the connection to place, while comfortable reading tables and soft seating will accommodate both quiet study and conversation.
In 2025, Preservation Texas board member Kate Johnson acquired and donated a copy of Hugh Kerr's A Poetical Description of Texas (1838), signed by the author (pictured). It is considered to be the first published book of Texas poetry and one of its first literary works
The Library’s program of changing exhibitions will celebrate the breadth and depth of Texas history, with themes drawn from its collections and from significant figures in the state’s literary and preservation heritage. A special focus will honor the legacy of John H. Jenkins, the renowned antiquarian book dealer, publisher, and bibliographer who owned Texas Hall and the Tehuacana campus from 1977 until his death in 1989. His passion for Texas books and documents will serve as an enduring inspiration for exhibitions that explore the history of books, printing, and scholarship in Texas. These rotating displays will not only showcase treasures from the Library’s holdings but also connect visitors to the traditions of collecting, publishing, and historical inquiry that Jenkins championed throughout his career.
The spirit of the Preservation Texas Institute Library is reflected in John H. Jenkins’s bibliographies, Cracker Barrel Chronicles and Basic Texas Books, which will guide collecting and exhibitions while inspiring the continued production of local history works.
Beyond the walls of Texas Hall, the library’s influence will extend statewide through a digital platform, making resources available to researchers, educators, and community members everywhere. The Preservation Texas Institute Press will reprint scarce or out-of-print titles, publish new works on Texas topics, and launch a journal dedicated to architectural history, cultural landscapes, and preservation scholarship. With sustainable funding, partnerships, and community support, the library will become an enduring hub of knowledge, creativity, and historical stewardship for Texas.