Legislative Database

Texas Historical Commission

The Impact of Historic Preservation in Texas

Senator

Historic preservation, including heritage tourism, today generates more than $1.7 billion of annual economic activity in Texas and supports more than 40,000 jobs.

The Texas Historical Commission, in its State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) role, has supported $5.6 billion in construction-related and/or job-creating economic activity in the past 40 years.

The SHPO expedites review of public projects for compliance with state and federal regulations which moves construction projects forward and reduces bureaucracy.

Federal Preservation Programs

• Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit (enacted by Congress in 1976)

The federal historic preservation tax incentives program includes a 20% corporate income tax credit for the rehabilitation of historic, income-producing buildings. Texas enacted a similar state tax credit in 2013 (P4 page 4), a 25% credit against state Franchise or Insurance Premium taxes owed. The combination of the two credits is a powerful tool. Since January 1, 2015, 63 federal tax credit projects in Texas have been certified by the National Park Service with $932.5 million in credit-eligible expenses and $1.116 billion in total spending. Roughly half of the certified projects in Texas since 1-1-2015 have successfully used both the federal and state tax credits. In 2013, prior to the launch of the state credit, there were only three completed federal credit projects in Texas.

Tax Credit Properties List

There are no projects matching your request.

• National Register of Historic Places (enacted by Congress in 1966)

Listing in the National Register provides national recognition of a property's historical or architectural significance and denotes that it is worthy of preservation. Buildings, sites, objects, structures, and districts are eligible for this designation if they are at least 50 years old (with rare exception) and meet established criteria.

National Register Properties List

There are no properties matching your request.

• Review and Compliance (enacted by Congress in 1966)

Sponsors of development projects that trigger compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act or the Antiquities Code of Texas are required to consult with the Texas Historical Commission. Each year, the agency's team of project reviewers processes 13,000-18,000 submissions, examining proposed actions for potential impacts to historic buildings, archeological sites, and other properties of historical significance. THC typically completes review of each submittal in 16 days or less, expediting infrastructure projects like state and federal highways, roads and streets, and federal facilities including military installations and customs-border patrol expansions.

• Certified Local Governments (enacted by Congress in 1986)

The Certified Local Government Program is a local, state, and federal government partnership for historic preservation. It is designed to help cities and counties develop high standards of preservation to protect a wide range of important historic properties. Some grant support is also provided using Congressionally appropriated federal funds.

• National Historic Trails (enacted by Congress in 1968)

The National Trails System is the network of scenic, historic, and recreation trails created by the National Trails System Act of 1968. These trails provide for outdoor recreation needs, promote the enjoyment, appreciation, and preservation of open-air, outdoor areas, and historic resources, and encourage public access and citizen involvement. Trails help students, individuals, and travelers understand and enjoy the history of a place or region while contributing to its economic development. The El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail stretches from near Eagle Pass through San Augustine and into Louisiana, while the El Camino Real de los Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail traverses the far west side of the state through El Paso. Currently being studied by the National Park Service for historic significance are the Chisholm and Great Western cattle trails as well as the Butterfield Overland Stage trail.

• Preserve America Communities (enacted by Congress in 2003)

This special designation recognizes communities that protect and celebrate their heritage, use their historic assets for economic development and community revitalization, and encourage people to experience and appreciate local historic resources through education and heritage tourism programs.

• Save America's Treasures Grants (enacted by Congress in 1999)

Save America’s Treasures includes one of the largest and most successful federal grant programs for protection of our nation’s endangered and irreplaceable cultural heritage. Grants are available for preservation and/or conservation work on nationally significant cultural artifacts and historic structures and sites. Recent grants have been awarded to the THC Historic Sites Division for work on cultural collections associated with the Mission Dolores and 34 State Historic Sites

Inactive Federal Preservation Programs

• Preserve America Grants (enacted by Congress in 2003)

The Preserve America matching-grant program provided planning funding to designated Preserve America Communities to support preservation efforts through heritage tourism, education, and historic preservation planning. While not funded by Congress in recent budgets, the statutory authorization for Preserve America grants remains in federal law.

• Transportation Enhancement Grants (enacted by Congress in 1994; amended in 2014)

Transportation enhancement grants for historic preservation and travel promotion were funded from the Federal Highway Trust Fund and administered at the state level by the Texas Department of Transportation and the THC. Other applications included highway beautification, urban and rural mass transit, and the Rails to Trails conversions of unused railroad right-of-way to walking and cycling trails. Congress narrowed the eligibility categories in 2014. Prior beneficiaries of the grants included historic county courthouse restorations, development of the THC ATLAS research database, and initial operation of the Texas Heritage Trails Program’s 10 regions along with websites and travel guides distributed through travel information centers across the state. By 2017, funding for these travel-promotion applications gradually transitioned to the state level.

State Preservation Program Highlights

• Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program (enacted by the Legislature in 1999)

Texas has more historic county courthouses than any other state and more than 240 courthouses that are least 50 years old. The Courthouse Preservation Program provides partial matching grants to Texas counties for the restoration of their historic courthouses. The Texas Legislature has invested $349.5 million in the 103 counties awarded grants to date while those counties have spent approximately $300 million in local matching funds. In addition, more than 70 counties have completed requirements for program participation.

• Texas Main Street Program (established in 1981)

The Texas Main Street Program provides technical expertise, resources and support for Texas communities in the preservation and revitalization of historic downtowns and commercial neighborhood districts in accordance with the National Main Street Four Point Approach® of organization, economic restructuring, design, and promotion. There are currently 90 designated Texas Main Street communities. Texas Main Streets have supported $4.138 billion in reinvestment, 40,010 jobs, and more than 9,824 business starts, expansions, or relocations.

• Texas State Historic Sites

The THC is responsible for overseeing 22 36 historic properties located throughout the state which range from Native American ceremonial mounds to grand Victorian mansions to sprawling frontier forts. Staff members provide expertise in archeology, architecture, curation, interpretation, and marketing to these sites which exemplify the breadth of Texas history. Since 2008 THC has committed approximately $47 million in appropriated state funds for renovation and restoration of state historic sites.

• Texas Heritage Trails Program (enacted by the Legislature in 1997; launched in 1998)

The Texas Heritage Trails Program is THC’s award-winning heritage tourism initiative. This economic development program encourages communities and the state to partner in promoting Texas' historic and cultural local resources. The THC is one of five state agencies that cooperate in a Texas travel promotion program coordinated by the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and Tourism. The Trails Program features 10 regions—each with a board and staff—supporting Texas’ 254 counties and their communities.

• Texas Preservation Trust Fund (enacted by the Legislature in 1989)

The THC awards grants for preservation projects from the Texas Preservation Trust Fund. Created by the Texas Legislature in 1989, the TPTF is a pool of public and private monies. The earnings and designated gifts are distributed as matching grants to qualified applicants for acquisition, survey, restoration, preservation, or for planning and educational activities leading to the preservation of historic properties and archeological sites.

• Texas Treasure Business Award (enacted by the Legislature in 2005)

The Texas Treasure Business Award Program recognizes the accomplishments of Texas businesses that have provided employment opportunities and support to the state’s economy for at least 50 years. Created in 2005, the program pays tribute to the state’s well-established businesses and their exceptional historical contributions toward the state’s economic growth and prosperity

• Texas Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit (enacted by Legislature in 2013)

Since January 1, 2015, the Texas Historical Commission has certified more than 355 completed architectural projects with $3.119 billion of credit-eligible expenses and total spending of $4.281 billion using the Texas Historic Preservation Tax Credit. Enacted by the 83rd Legislature in 2013, the program offers a 25% credit against state Franchise or Insurance Premium taxes owed. Roughly 190 additional projects now past stage 2 of the 3-stage review process are expected to produce another $1.4 billion of credit-eligible expenditures while total construction exceeds $2 billion. When combined with the Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit, investors and developers may realize a 45% saving on the costs of restoring historically designated buildings. The program has added over $7 billion to Texas Gross Domestic Product.

Tax Credit Properties List

There are no projects matching your request.

• State Historical Markers (enacted by the Legislature in 1953)

One of the most visible programs of the THC are historical markers that commemorate diverse topics including the history and architecture of residential, commercial, public buildings and military sites; events that changed the course of local and state history; and individuals who have made lasting contributions to our state, community organizations, and businesses. Historical markers can be found in all 254 Texas counties.

Texas Historical Markers List

There are no markers matching your request.

• Museums Program (enacted by the Legislature in 1953)

Museum services staff help roughly 1,000 small history museums in the state achieve national standards in all areas of operation. Services available to museums include email bulletins, consultations, workshops, webinars, and educational and reference materials. The widely attended webinar training series covers management, fundraising, podcasts, community engagement, media relations, artifact preservation, rebranding, program development, and disaster preparedness.

• Texas Historic Roads and Highways Program (enacted by the Legislature in 2009)

The goal of the Texas Historic Roads and Highways Program is to identify, designate, interpret, and market historic roads and highways in Texas. The first two projects focus on the historic Bankhead Highway, a coast-to-coast roadway established in 1916, and the Meridian Highway, a north-south interstate road established at about the same time.

• Historic Texas Cemeteries (established in 1996)

The designation of Historic Texas Cemetery (HTC) was created in response to public concern for preservation and protection of cemeteries. HTC designation has been accorded to 2,363 cemeteries, each of those burial grounds now registered with the corresponding county clerk. THC staff provides advice and training to patrons and caretakers statewide while maintaining a database of roughly 13,000 known cemeteries. Texas may have as many as 50,000 cemeteries, many of them remnants of pioneer farms and ranches or ghost towns.

Historic Texas Cemeteries List