Texas Historical Commission, History Programs Division:

An Inventory of Survey and Inventory Files of Historic Resources at the Texas State Archives, 1921-1949, 1986-1996 (bulk 1992-1996)

Agency History

The Texas State Historical Survey Committee was created on a temporary basis in 1953 (Senate Concurrent Resolution 44, 53rd Legislature, Regular Session) to administer a comprehensive state program for historical preservation; it was given more permanent status in 1957 (Senate Bill 426, 55th Legislature, Regular Session). The Committee became the Texas Historical Commission in 1973 (House Bill 1512, 63rd Legislature, Regular Session).

The Texas Historical Commission is composed of eighteen members appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate, serving overlapping six-year terms. Members must be citizens of Texas who have demonstrated an interest in the preservation of the state's historical heritage, and represent all geographical areas of Texas. Beginning in 1995, the membership must include a professional archeologist, a professional historian, and a licensed architect; and two of the members must be from counties with populations of less than 50,000. The governor names the chairperson. The members appoint an executive director to administer the agency. In 1998 the commission had a staff of about 100 employees.

The mission of the commission is to protect and preserve the state's historic and prehistoric resources for the use, education, economic benefit, and enjoyment of present and future generations. The main functions of the agency are to identify, preserve, interpret, and maintain historic and archeological sites. Duties of the agency include preservation consultation with the public; providing leadership to heritage organizations and county historical commissions; working with communities to protect Texas' architectural heritage, including operation of the Texas Main Street Program; administering the state's historical marker program; working with property owners to save archeological sites on private land; ensuring archeological sites are protected as land is developed for public construction projects; consulting with citizens and groups to nominate properties for historical and archeological landmark status and for the National Register of Historic Places; and making historical attractions a cornerstone of the Texas travel industry. The Commission also maintains the Historic Sites Atlas (a database of information on 200,000 historic sites in Texas); is involved with the LaSalle excavations; and was involved with the development of the Bob Bullock State History Museum that recently opened in Austin.

In the late 1990s, the Texas Historical Commission went through an agency restructuring in which several divisions were combined. The agency now contains seven divisions that carry out the responsibilities of the agency. The Administration Division oversees budgetary, planning, and other executive functions. The Community Heritage Division operates the Main Street Program, the Heritage Tourism Program, and the Certified Local Government Program. The Archeology Division administers the archeological programs of the agency in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act and the Antiquities Code of Texas. The Architecture Division administers architectural grants, monitors the state's National Historical Landmarks and reviews proposed changes to Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks. The History Programs Division operates the National Register Program and the Local History Program. The Marketing Communications Division issues a monthly newsletter, The Medallion, provides production services for other departments, assists with public outreach, and helps coordinate the agency's annual museum conference. Staff Services handles personnel, accounting, and other staff functions.

The History Programs Division operates the National Register Program and the Local History Program. This division is compiling a statewide inventory of Texas properties significant in American history, architecture, or culture. It nominates the most significant properties to the National Register of Historic Places. It assists designated cities with developing ordinances and programs to preserve local landmarks and also provides other assistance to county officials, nonprofit heritage organizations, and individuals in preserving cultural and historic resources of the state. It operates the Texas Historical Marker program and administers the Sam Rayburn House Museum in Bonham, Texas.

There are several boards associated with the Texas Historical Commission. The State Board of Review evaluates nominations to the National Register of Historic Places. The Antiquities Advisory Board evaluates nominations for State Archeological Landmark status and considers issues associated with the Antiquities Code of Texas. The Guardians of Texas Preservation Trust Fund cultivates and develops sources of support for the trust fund and advises the commission of potential donors of property or other assets. The Advisory Board of the Texas Preservation Trust Fund makes recommendations on Trust Fund grant allocations and advises on matters relating to more efficient utilization or enhancement of the fund. The Main Street Interagency Council evaluates applications for the Main Street programs.

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Scope and Contents of the Records

These records are reports, inventory or survey sheets, photographs, maps, plats, inspections, deed records, profiles of facility namesakes, etc. concerning surveys and inspections of several federal facilities in Texas to determine whether any structures or ruins within these facilities would quality for inclusion into the National Register of Historic Places. Dates covered are 1921-1949, 1986-1996 (bulk 1992-1996). The surveys were conducted by federal agency contractors to gather data about historic and cultural resources and filed with the Texas Historical Commission. The bulk of the records concern the survey of the United States Department of Energy's Pantex Plant in Carson County (formerly a World War II U.S. Army ordnance plant), focusing on the World War II-era structures, foundations, and ruins. Also documented in this series are surveys of Carswell Air Force Base in Tarrant County, a base initially designated for closure then realigned for a different military use; and the Historic William Beaumont General Hospital Area of the William Beaumont Army Medical Center at Fort Bliss in El Paso County, inventoried to determine the historical significance of the facilities in the hospital complex in order to establish it as the William Beaumont General Hospital District.

Each project contains an overall report and inventory record on each structure or feature within the facility surveyed. These sheets give a great deal of information about each structure or feature reviewed, including a detailed physical description, ownership information, use, history, integrity, significance, list of resources used in the research, name of the researcher, and date inventoried. Accompanying the individual inventory sheets are photographs, generally showing several views of the structure/feature. The inventory sheet lists the views shown. In addition to the inventory sheets and photos are maps and plans; profiles of the facilities namesake; some projects also have copies of some historic documents, which may include deed records, reports, inspections, and construction details; and in one project, the military's guidance policy for treatment of cold war historic properties. The records of the Pantex Plant also contain several notebooks of historical and current photographs of the facility. All the records have been removed from the notebooks and placed in folders, in the same order as they appeared in the notebooks.

Photographs for Carswell Air Force Base and the Beaumont Army Medical Center show interior and exterior of buildings, including homes, barracks and other housing facilities, officers' quarters, headquarters, storage facilities, hospitals and other buildings on the base, water tanks, and views of the vicinity. Most of the views are current, however, there are some 1920s-1930s views of the Beaumont Army Medical Center showing ambulances, hospital buildings and other structures of the period. Photographs are snapshots, 4-by-6 inch, 5-by-7 inch and 8-by-10 inch black and white photographs. Inventories of the images are present.

The photos of the Pantex plant are extensive, showing interior and exterior views of the ordnance plant, officers quarters, barracks, administrative buildings, and other structures on the base; views of foundations and ruins; soldiers on the parade grounds; operating room; automobiles on the base; workers at the plant; guard towers and checkpoints; and ball games. The Pantex photos contain historic views from 1942 to 1944 and photos of facility taken in 1992-1993 (labeled as 'current photos' in the notebooks). Many of the historic photos are copies of U.S. Army War Department photographs. The reverse sides of the photographs contain labels with identifying information, and, for historic photos, the source of the photo, if it is not already noted on the front (most War Department photographs have a header at the bottom of the image). Each set of photos has a detailed log of photographs. The historic photographs are generally 4-by-6 inch or 8-by-10 inch black and white images. The photographs from the 1990s are color snapshots and 8-by-10 inch prints. Inventories exist for all but three of the notebooks, namely - historic photographs of zones 4, 10, 11, 12; aerial and current photos of zones 4 and 10; and current photos, Zone 11, book 3 did not have a inventory of the images.

This finding aid describes the files of one series of the History Programs Division of the Historical Commision. See Texas Historical Commission, History Programs Division, Records, for more records of this division, and Texas Historical Commission: An Overview of Records for more records series.

To prepare this inventory, the described materials were cursorily reviewed to delineate series, to confirm the accuracy of contents lists, to provide an estimate of dates covered, and to determine record types.

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

None.

Restrictions on Use

Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted and may be freely used in any way. State records also include materials received by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).

Many of the photographs have a statement on the reverse, "Not released for publication."

Researchers are required to wear gloves provided by the Archives when reviewing photographic materials.

Most of the maps are too large to photocopy. See the preservation archivist for alternative methods of reproduction.

Technical Requirements

None.

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Related Material

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item), Survey and inventory files of historic resources, History Programs Division, Texas Historical Commission. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Accession Information

Accession number: 2003/163

These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Texas Historical Commission on June 4, 2003.

Processing Information

Laura K. Saegert, April 2004

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Detailed Description of the Records

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