E-Mail:
Office of Historic Preservation
Phone: (210) 215-9274
The Office of Historic Preservation is proud to
promote National Historic Preservation Month in May 2012. This
year's theme is "Discover America's Hidden Gems." Communities
across the United States will host programs and events promoting
historic places.
San Antonio is filled with historic treasures so join us as we "Discover San Antonio's Hidden Gems!" Help celebrate the history, architecture, and culture of San Antonio's past. Together with local partners we are presenting a full month of events to promote history and preservation in our city. Check out our calendar of events below. Dates and times are subject to change, and more events are on the way, so stay tuned!
Preservation Month Calendar - May 2012
Check out some of last year's Preservation Month 2011 activities here.


Due
to weather, the Amazing Preservation Race has been
rescheduled for Friday,
June 8th at 5:30 pm! You won't want to miss this downtown
architectural scavenger hunt complete with trivia questions and urban
challenges. The race will start and finish at La Villita. Here's how it
works:
Your team will receive a packet of information, which includes
descriptions and clues for 6 downtown locations. At each of
the destinations your team will have to perform an activity in order to get
your next clue. Between locations, teams will be responsible for
performing urban challenges (think human pyramid). This information is top
secret and will be provided to the teams the day of the race!
There is still time to register your team!Registration fee: $25/person as part of a 4 person team. Each participant will receive a t-shirt and drink ticket for the post-race fiesta. Register online here.
"The
Greenest Building," a new hour-long documentary by producer Jane
Turville, presents a compelling overview of the important role building
reuse plays in creating sustainable communities. Narrated by David Odgen
Stiers, "The Greenest Building" explores the myth that a "green building" is
a new building and demonstrates how renovation and adaptive reuse of
existing structures fully achieves the sustainability movement's "triple
bottom line" - economic, social, and ecological balance.
The AIA San Antonio's Committee on the Environment presents COTECinema as part of National Preservation Month. Everyone is welcome to this FREE screening of the documentary on Wednesday, May 30 at 7:30 pm at the Alamo Street Eat Bar, 609 S. Alamo St. Food and drinks will be available for purchase from some of the great vendors of Alamo Street Eat Bar. For more information, contact AIA San Antonio at 210-226-4979.
Let us know the historic places that matter to you! Join the Office of
Historic Preservation and the National Trust for Historic Preservation in
the "This Place Matters" photo contest. Download a copy of the "This
Place Matters" sign below and snap of photo of you holding the sign in front
of a place that is significant to you. Submit your photos to the
Office of Historic Preservation at
OHP@sanantonio.gov, and follow the instructions on the printable sign to
submit to the
National Trust website.
We
celebrated the launch of National Preservation Month 2012
with the
State of Preservation Announcement and Reception on Thursday, May
3rd in the beautiful courtyard of the Spanish Governor's Palace.
City leaders and the State Historic Preservation Officer
highlighted the recent accomplishments in historic preservation.
The occasion initiated a full month of educational and fun-filled events to promote the "Power of Preservation" in San Antonio. Help us discover San Antonio's hidden gems and celebrate our historic city!
As
part of National Preservation Month, the San Antonio Conservation Society sponsored a half-day seminar--with a bus/walking tour that same
morning--on “Mid-Century Modern: It’s About Time” on Friday,
May 4th in the AIA – San Antonio Center for Architecture, 200 East
Grayson Street, in the Pearl Full Goods Building. Featuring panels of local
and regional experts, the seminar focused on mid-century modern
architecture and design from the 1930s to 1970 and its importance in
Speakers included Greg Smith, of the Texas Historical Commission; Anna Mod, historic preservation specialist with LFC, Inc.; Rebecca Schenker, AIA, founding principal of Weave Architecture; Stephen Fox, architectural historian and adjunct lecturer in architecture at Rice University and the University of Houston; Kathryn O'Rourke, professor of art and art history at Trinity University; and Jenni Minner, doctoral student in Community and Regional Planning at the University of Texas at Austin and president of MidTexMod.
Participants
joined us for
the Go! Historic SA guided running and walking tour of sites associated with
Texas Independence
The tour included a stop at
We will offer a variety of other walking/running guided tours throughout the year, so check out the link below for our 2012 schedule.
Upcoming Guided Walking/Running Tours - 2012 Schedule
The third annual Paseo por el Westside
was held on
Sunday, May 6th at the Rinconcito de Esperanza at 816
S. Colorado (at Guadalupe Street). The Paseo featured
neighborhood walking tours,
presentations, kids activities, food,
music, teatro, and more!
The day included a performance by Poet Laureate, Carmen Tafolla.
Music was provided by Jacinto Guevara; Rita Vidaurri, Beatris Llamas and
Perla Tapatia of Las Tesoros del Westside; and Eva Ybarra y su Conjunto.
The event was sponsored by the Office of Historic Preservation (OHP),
Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, Westside Historic Preservation Alliance,
and others.
The Paseo is part of the ongoing
Cultural Resource Survey initiative of the City’s
historic Westside. Help generate interest in the
preservation of the cultural and architectural heritage of
The
Amazing Preservation Race for Kids, held on Saturday, May 19 in the
King William Historic District, was a great success! This scavenger hunt for
elementary-aged kids was a morning of fun activities, while participants
learned about history, architecture, and preservation. With adult
chaperones, kids used clues to solve riddles as they searched for destinations
throughout the King William neighborhood.
At each destination, an activity was required in order to get the next clue.
Activities included such "old-fashioned" games as jumping rope, a clothes
pin drop, croquet, and ball tossing. Food, games, and prizes were
provided at the finish line at the historic Steves Homestead.
Shanon Peterson of the Office of Historic Preservation, green builder Juan
Fernandez, and Lavaca homeowner and remodeler Scott Martin spoke at the
Green Lifestyles in Historic Neighborhoods Forum on May 20th. The
forum presenters provided information about retrofitting historic homes and building inner-city
communities that are environmentally and culturally sustainable.
Elaine Wolff of
plazadearmastx.com was the moderater.
Sponsored by Build
Check out the video of the event!
