Nominations are being accepted for Stephen F. Austin State University’s Stone Fort Museum’s Cum Concilio Club Heritage Preservation Award, which honors those dedicated to preserving Nacogdoches and its history.
Nominations are due by 5 p.m. Friday, June 30. Visit sfasu.edu/stonefort to download a nomination form with instructions, or contact Carolyn Spears, museum director, at (936) 468-2408 or stonefort@sfasu.edu.
“The museum’s award is different in that it recognizes achievements across the spectrum of heritage preservation, including art, archives, architecture, natural history, historic objects and the built environment,” Spears said. “In 2015, the first award was presented posthumously to Dr. F. E. Abernethy for his vision and perseverance in the development of the Lanana Creek Trail, now part of Nacogoches’ cultural landscape.”
The Stone Fort 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. The award recognizes an individual or group who has made significant contributions to the preservation of Eastern Texas history and Nacogdoches’ heritage.
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 stone house on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State Teachers College as a regional history museum is a tribute to the club’s dedication to heritage preservation.
