Ben Abernethy, Maggie Abernethy-Duffin and LuAnna Cole recently visited Stephen F. Austin State University to accept The Stone Fort Museum’s 2015 Cum Concilio Club Heritage Preservation Award in honor of their father, the late Dr. Francis “Ab” Abernethy, Nacogdoches author and historian.
“The award recognizes Dr. Abernethy for his vision and perseverance in the development of the Lanana Creek Trail,” said Carolyn Spears, director of the Stone Fort Museum, “and for preserving the historic landscape and the stories that connect us with our shared history.”
Born in 1925, Abernethy received his Bachelor of Arts from SFA and his master’s and doctoral degrees from Louisiana State University. He studied history, music, literature, folklore, and nature’s flora and fauna. The award was given to Abernethy for his more than 20 years spent carving out the Lanana and Banita Creek Trails.
The Stone Fort Museum Heritage Preservation Award was established in honor of the Cum Concilio Club and its dedication to preserving the Nacogdoches cultural and historic landscape. The award is presented biennially to an individual (or group) who has made significant contributions to state and local heritage preservation.
The Perkins family dismantled the building in 1902, but some of its original stones were preserved by Cum Concilio, a civic organization in Nacogdoches. Decades later, the New Deal economic program of the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration provided funding for the construction of a replica of the old fort on the grounds of Stephen F. Austin State College.