The Stephen F. Austin State University Stone Fort Museum will present the inaugural Cum Concilio Club Heritage Preservation Award, honoring those who are dedicated to preserving Nacogdoches and its history.
Officially established in 2009, the award will highlight the CCC of Nacogdoches’ commitment to the preservation of the city’s cultural and historic landscape. This women’s study club, organized in Nacogdoches in 1894, acknowledged the importance of historical preservation with the loss of the Y’Barbo stone house in 1902. Distraught by the demolition of the house, members dedicated their time and efforts to protecting other historic aspects of the community.
In 1936, a replica structure of the stone house was built by the Texas Centennial Commission on SFA’s campus. The house, which paid homage to the club’s preservation efforts, became a regional history museum known today as the Stone Fort Museum.
The biennial award, which will be presented in October, will recognize an individual or group who has made significant contributions to the preservation of the natural and cultural history of Nacogdoches County. Award recipients will be recorded on a plaque located in the museum garden, which will guide visitors to completed preservation projects throughout the county.
Nominations are now being accepted and are due by Tuesday, June 30. For more information, contact Carolyn Spears at (936) 468-2408, or email stonefort@sfasu.edu, or visit www.sfasu.edu/stonefort for further instructions.
