Preservation and Restoration

The establishment of the Preservation Texas Institute (PTI) will be the flagship project in advancing Preservation Texas’s strategic vision as the state approaches its bicentennial in 2036. The acquisition of College Hill—the former Trinity University/Westminster College campus in rural Tehuacana (Limestone County)—will anchor the Institute, offering a unique opportunity to preserve significant historic structures while creating a center focused on preservation education and scholarship for the entire state. The development of the Institute aligns with Preservation Texas’s mission, charter, and five strategic directions: building organizational capacity, developing regional networks, establishing sustainable revenue streams, providing public policy leadership, and stewarding Texas’s heritage.

The Preservation Texas Institute is founded on the belief that the best use of a historic building is the purpose for which it was built. That’s why the 19th-century campus in Tehuacana, originally developed for education, is the ideal setting for a new center for preservation education. The most significant building is Texas Hall, a landmark structure of statewide importance. Severely deteriorated, with a collapsed rear roof and missing three stories at the back, broken windows, interior water damage, and a failing porch, Texas Hall nonetheless retains a remarkable amount of original material and presence. Its restoration, including the installation of the reconstructed bell tower atop the building, will reestablish the building as a symbol of learning and preservation leadership in time for the Texas Bicentennial in 2036.

Pictured: Second-floor hallway inside Texas Hall looking east.

Beyond Texas Hall, other campus buildings require both exterior and interior stabilization and repair. These buildings will not only support the mission of the Institute by housing educational activities—they will also serve as case studies in best preservation practices. Every restoration effort will reflect the organization’s commitment to high standards and will be undertaken with an eye toward qualifying for state tax credits. The campus itself, a ten-acre site atop Tehuacana Hill, offers a unique opportunity to study and reestablish historical landscape features while also adapting parts of the grounds for new, program-supportive uses.

Pictured: the 1933 Westminster Gymnasium.

Restoration work on the campus will be intentional and phased, designed to both protect these resources and use them actively. Buildings will be rehabilitated in ways that allow students, professionals, and visitors to observe preservation in action, turning the Institute into a hands-on learning environment. This approach will reinforce Preservation Texas’s core belief that historic buildings must be both respected and used in order to survive.

Finally, the work in Tehuacana is intended to be catalytic. By anchoring the Preservation Texas Institute in this historic setting and demonstrating the power of investment in place, the project aims to spark similar efforts in surrounding communities like Wortham, Mexia, Groesbeck, Coolidge, and Prairie Hill. The vision is that a restored campus in Tehuacana becomes not only a center for education, but also a model for regional revitalization driven by preservation.

Pictured: Circa 1912 Louisiana Hall.