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APL announces Abilene's Top Ten Preservation Opportunities for 2008
Celebrating Preservation Month, on May 13th at its annual membership meeting, members adopted the first Top Ten Preservation Opportunities List. These buildings or places are threatened with neglect, plans that call for the property’s demolition, or other circumstances that clearly threaten the property’s continued existence. See the List

Take a tour of this 86 year old recently renovated school in Dallas Old Schools make Great New Schools. Booker T. Washington school in Dallas, the first Black high school, recently reopened as a Magnet School. The project includes significant new construction while preserving the historic building. Click on the photo at left to view a short video tour.
Historic WTU Power and Ice Plant The industrial plant that "put Abilene on the map" as a town serious about growth and business is up for sale, and a public discussion of ideas for its reuse is beginning. Here's the article from the Abilene Reporter-News site. Have a comment for us or an idea for the plant? Click to let us know. Here's an in-depth photo tour of the power plant.

APL will help you apply for Historic Overlay
A new program of the Preservation League offers assistance to those considering applying for the City of Abilene Historic Overlay designation. We will grant up to $150 toward the successful application. More info

Story of an Austin Home's Journey Toward Renewal
A home in Austin that had fallen on hard times gets a redo. Like many historic projects, not everyone agrees about every aspect of the restoration, but the home is saved. From the Austin American Statesman.

Is Vinyl Siding really all that great?
With all the marketing, you need an objective view of the plusses and minuses of putting vinyl siding on your house. Here's a link to a good article that goes into detail about the issue and has a good list of further resources. (Click on the Related Links link at the bottom for the PDF file.)

Historic Districts: around Texas
In San Antonio, "nearly all real estate professionals agree historic neighborhoods look better over time in comparison to nearby subdivisions that don't have historic designation," says Virginia Nicholas, board president of the San Antonio Conservation Society.
Download PDF file of article

Thank you for helping make the first Heritage Stewardship Awards Luncheon a success!
The Abilene Preservation League held its first Heritage Stewardship Awards Luncheon on Thursday, October 25, 2007 with about 470 in attendance. On the occasion of the APL’s thirtieth anniversary the organization honored the Dodge Jones Foundation with the Heritage StewardshipAward, the highest accolade in local historic preservation. Keynote speaker was Mr. Peter Brink, Vice President of Programs for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and founding director of the Galveston Historical Foundation.

• View the Video Tribute to the Dodge Jones Foundation at the Reporter-News Web Site
• Photos from the luncheon and Thank you to Underwriters and Table Sponsors