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Nominations are being accepted for the Stephen F. Austin State University Stone Fort Museum’s biennial Cum Concilio Club Heritage Preservation Award, which honors those dedicated to preserving Nacogdoches and its history.

The award recognizes an individual or group who has made significant contributions to the preservation of East Texas history and Nacogdoches’ heritage.

“Recipients of this prestigious award demonstrate the many paths for individuals and groups to help save our history, art, architecture, music, cemeteries, archives, foodways and much more,” said Carolyn Spears, Stone Fort Museum director. “Accomplishments of previous award recipients, such as Ab Abernethy, James Corbin, Mable Hall, Steve and Sheryl Hartz, Bobby Johnson, Tom Middlebrook, and Birdie Wade, are glowing examples of what we strive for when discussing the preservation of our historic region.”

The museum’s biennial heritage preservation award was established in honor of the Cum Concilio Club’s dedication to the preservation of Nacogdoches’ cultural and historic landscapes, including the Stone Fort.

Preservation of Nacogdoches’ rich heritage began in earnest with the loss of Antonio Gil Y’Barbo’s stone house in 1902. The Cum Concilio Club recognized the importance of the building and mounted a campaign to save the historic landmark. While the club was unable to stop the demolition of the stone house, the club’s preservation efforts struck a chord throughout Texas. The 1936 reconstruction of the building on the Stephen F. Austin State Teachers College campus as a regional history museum is a tribute to the club’s dedication to heritage preservation.

Award nominations are due by 5 p.m. July 14. Download a nomination form with instructions at bit.ly/SFM-Award-Nom-2023. For information, contact Spears at (936) 468-2408 or stonefort@sfasu.edu.

By University Marketing Communications