Historical Commission to honor Gibbs for work at Pritchett House

From the December 20 Item:

The Walker County Historical Commission will present a preservation award to Mary Laura Gibbs of Huntsville for her restoration work on the historic Pritchett House on Tuesday, December 22 at 5:30 p.m. The presentation ceremony will be held at the home, located at 1322 Avenue O.

One of Huntsville oldest homes, the Pritchett House was built by Joseph Lucien Pritchett and his wife Lenora in 1892. The family moved to Huntsville in 1888 after Mr. Pritchett was named to the faculty of Sam Houston Normal Institute as a professor of mathematics. The Pritchett family owned the home, which they named “Oak Grove,” until 1945 when it was purchased by William Kellogg. Kellogg lived in the home until his death, and the home was sold to Gibbs by his estate in 2006.

21 Vocational Nurses Graduate

A December 13 Item article caught our eye about recent graduates at the Joe G. Davis School of Vocational Nursing at Huntsville Memorial Hospital, specifically a few remarks about SHSU's Medical & Allied Health Programs and impending building:

Time Capsule: 1959

December 14, 1959: Fifty years ago today Sammy Bearkat debuted on the campus of SHSTC as a clumsy papier-mâché head worn with regular clothes. He's evolved over the past half-century but still maintains his bearkat spirit.Celebrate with Sammy and the rest of his friends at the Kat Pack blog.

Physical Plant update: November 2009

If you read your copy of the Fall 2009 Heritage magazine then you may recall President James Gaertner saying that a new residence hall is on the horizon, as part of the Campus Master Plan. Specifically, “a new 300-bed residence hall located across from the University Health Center is in the plan. In addition, the Office of Residence Life will be housed on the first floor of the new building.” The Physical Plant released a rendering this month courtesy of Kirksey Architecture showing a new student residence building set to begin construction in April 2010 and to be completed around June 2011. 

City Celebrates Cultural Designation

From the November 13 edition of the Item:

The city of Huntsville celebrated its official designation as one of the State of Texas’ seven new cultural districts during a reception Thursday at the Katy and E. Don Walker Sr. Education Center.

The designation was officially presented to the city by Dr. Gary Gibbs, executive director of the Texas Commission on the Arts who was in attendance with commission’s deputy director Jim Bob McMillan.

“To receive this designation was a competitive process,” Gibbs said. “Huntsville was one of 30 cities who applied for this designation, and one of seven to receive it.”

The State’s Cultural Designation program is a new one, with the 2009 pilot program initiated by the TCA in December of 2008.

Huntsville’s cultural district includes of all the city’s downtown square area, as well as Oakwood Cemetery, the Sam Houston Memorial Museum, the Samuel Walker Houston Museum and Cultural Center, the Sam Houston State University campus, and more.

Today@Sam discussed the event prior to the ceremony.

President Gaertner to retire in 2010

News out of Huntsville from Today@Sam:

SHSU president James Gaertner announced during the annual faculty and staff picnic today Friday, October 30, his intention to retire effective Aug. 31, 2010. "Nancy and I have enjoyed this time of our lives more than I can describe. It has been an incredible honor to serve with the entire university community as president of this grand old university.”

Share your thoughts at the katfans forum.

CHSS Building Recognized For Design Innovation

Today@Sam reports that the College of Humanities and Social Sciences Building has received the "Award of Excellence" for its innovative design and contribution to the community and will be featured in the December issue of Texas Construction.

The constructors of the building, SpawGlass Construction Corporation, took part of the annual Texas Construction Best of 2009 competition held in September. Twenty-one projects, including the CHSS Building, were big winners in an "Award of Excellence" category. SpawGlass submitted photos of the CHSS Building under the subcategory of higher education/research project. SHSU’s building was the only higher education/research project to win in the "excellence" category. The competition, held by Texas Construction magazine, received 150 nominated projects. Each project was divided into categories including, "Best Of," "Excellence" and "Special." The judges reviewed each project based on safety, innovation, contribution to the community or industry; construction quality and craftsmanship; and function and aesthetic quality of design. Winners in each category also will be honored at an awards luncheon in Dallas on December 8.

Montgomery Considers Creation of Historical Park

The town that lays claim as the birthplace of the Texas flag is considering creation of a historical park to enhance its niche in Lone Star lore, reports the Conroe Courier:

Montgomery officials will review options related to the creation of the Fernland Historical Park – a collaborative effort between the city, Sam Houston State University and Buffalo Springs....

The 1.75-acre site adjacent to the Charles B. Stewart Library and Memory Park would feature historical buildings representative of early Texas architecture – including four structures donated by SHSU from Fernland, a 40-acre historical site off Honea-Egypt Road owned by the university.

Plans call for the Crane Cabin, Jordan House, Tharp House, and a blacksmith shed to be moved from Fernland to the proposed site as part of a historical park. Fernland’s Bear Bend, the hunting lodge frequented by Texas statesman and military leader Sam Houston, is not part of the donation offered by SHSU, said [Brant Gary, city administrator].

“The current site [Fernland] is secluded and without modern conveniences like water, power and sewer,” said Dr. Patrick Nolan, director of the Sam Houston Museum in Huntsville in a previous interview. “Making it available to the public is a challenge because of security and accessibility.”

Land for the park would be donated by Buffalo Springs developer Philip LeFevre, Gary noted. Expenses for the park are projected at approximately $300,000 in the current fiscal year and $132,000 in 2011. Site preparation, moving of the structures and construction time for the park is estimated at less than one year.

In the News: Jabez Curry

A statue of Helen Keller was unveiled Wednesday, October 7 in the United States Capitol’s National Statuary Hall Collection. Each state is allowed two statues honoring persons notable in their history in this collection, and there is little surprise that Texas is represented by Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin. But in recent years the Capitol has allowed states to replace statues – for example, California swapped out Thomas King for Ronald Regan a few years ago – and it’s who Keller replaced that caught our eye.

Keller's statue replaced one depicting Jabez Curry, whose statue represented Alabama since 1908. Curry was originally from Georgia and served as president of Howard College (now Samford University) and it is this university where the statue will now reside.

Curry also has a slight tie-in to SHSU, too. In 1881, Curry was chosen as General Agent of the Peabody Education Fund. The fund sought to establish educational opportunities across the southern United States following the Civil War; because of a $2 Million endowment from this fund, Sam Houston Normal Institute was able to open in 1879. Following his death, a stained glass window was presented in his honor by the SHNI senior class of 1903 for placement in the Memorial Hall of Old Main. The window, like the many others honoring campus luminaries, was lost in the 1982 Old Main fire.

Time Capsule: Persons Who Should Not Enter the Normal

As we celebrate the 130th anniversary of the first day of classes at the Sam Houston Normal Institute, we present a series of remarks from the SHNI catalogue, as printed in History of Education in Texas (1903):

If you desire to prepare for the study of law, medicine, or theology, do not come to the normal.

If you wish merely to obtain a general education, do not come to the normal.

This is not a reform school. It is not a place for children. Boys or girls incapable of self-control should not enter the normal.

If you have not completed a course of study that would fit you to enter a good high school, you can not be profited by our work, and should not apply for admission.

Our work is special, and will suit none but those preparing for the teacher’s profession. If you wish to teach in our country schools, our city schools, or high schools, we can give you good instruction by trained and skillful teachers, with all needed helps in the way of apparatus, libraries, etc., and special professional training that will be most valuable. But the normal school is not a college or university. If you are merely seeking to obtain a general education to prepare yourself for other than the teacher’s profession, do not come here. Our work will not suit you, and we will not be satisfied with you. Only those desiring to prepare for the great work of the teacher should come to the normal.

Conversations about the Master Plan

More discussions about the Campus Master Plan from President James Gaertner in today Houstonian:

"We plan to tear down all of the small student housing, like King Hall for example, and build additional student housing. We are going to tear down the LSC and build a new LSC on the same spot, and build new Nursing and Allied Health, Engineering, and College of Business buildings and turn the old business building into general classrooms," Gaertner said. "We also plan to add to the Criminal Justice and Education buildings. There will also be three structured parking garages being built."

"The building schedule depends on our enrollment growth, the availability of funds, certain programs growing at a certain rate, and programs being approved, such as the Engineering and Nursing and Allied Health programs," Gaertner said. "One of the very first projects we will have is going to be new dormitories and student housing because we need a certain number of beds available when we tear down the older houses. We will probably break ground [on the housing project] within the next year and a half or so and then probably after that Allied Health and Nursing."

Chime in with your thoughts or questions about the Master Plan at the katfans forum.

Building a Mystery: Catholic Student Center

Periodically we come across shards of uncertainty in our research. Today it's the Catholic Student Center (CSC).

USC Law School Wasn’t First "in the Southwest"

Roger Grace writes in the Los Angeles Metropolitan News Enterprise that the University of Southern California’s website lays claim to be being home to “the first law school in the Southwest.” Grace counters that this isn’t so.

On March 17, 1855, the website of the Texas Historical Assn. says, “the first law school in Texas was established at Austin College” in Huntsville. It continues:

“Previously, all legal training in Texas had taken place by apprenticeship. The innovation was discontinued at Austin College after four students had completed the one-year course….”

Austin College still exists. Its March, 2009 magazine muses:

“Had the law school survived the money problems that doomed it, today it would be among the oldest dozen law schools in the U.S.”

The college is now in Sherman, Texas — but the Huntsville building in which its law school was housed is extant (on the campus of the Sam Houston State University) and a plaque on it commemorates the “First Law School in Texas.”

Writing on the Wall #4

SHSU is celebrating its fortieth anniversary this year. Sort of.

Forty years ago...back in the summer of ’69...students and faculty had a new abbreviation to recite when they arrived for the fall semester and we’re assuming campus signage got a bit of a face lift, too, what with a sudden excess of the letter C. After four short years as Sam Houston State College, the Huntsville campus would now be known as Sam University State University.

To celebrate, can you identify the building or location where we took the below photo? Think of it as a scavenger hunt.

Just for U, here’s another haiklu:

laughing, talking, here
fine art of gracious living
all in unison

Update: Residences Razed

As the Performing Arts Center rises on the other side of campus, two residential buildings were demolished over the summer months. Lawrence and Mitchell houses were recently razed from the northwest corner of campus after fifty years. The new campus dining facility is planned for this location.

That, and more from this August update from the Physical Plant:

Updated items

Energetic Material Research Facility
Status: Addressing Punch List Items

Ongoing items

Performing Arts Center
Start Date: November 19, 2008
Substantial Completion Date: June 2010

New items

University Camp improvements
Status: Under Construction
Programmed Amount: unknown
Start Date: Summer 2009
Substantial Completion Date: unknown

University Hotel renovations
Status: In Progress
Start Date: July 2009
Substantial Completion Date: unknown

Completed items

Applied Forensic Science Research Building
Status: Completed July 2009
(Part of the Southeast Texas Applied Forensic Science Facility)

University Camp Caretaker’s Cabin
Status: Completed June 2009
(Part of the University Camp)

W.S. Gibbs Home impressive structure

The August 7 edition of the Item discusses the recent removal of the W.S. Gibbs house and the city's other structures designed by the Harry Payne:

Despite adjoining one of the city’s busiest streets, the home has long been receding into obscurity, shrouded by trees and ivy. Its obscurity is now complete: in the past month, it was dismantled.

Designed by renowned Houston architect Harry Payne, the home typified the Colonial Revival style: a symmetrical structure, a tall, slender design with side chimney, paired windows on either side of the door, and a side porch on the second story.

As it fades to complete obscurity, perhaps passersby will pause for a minute on 11th Street and reflect on the old Gibbs Home and hope that Harry Payne’s other homes meet a better fate.

Note: Five other structures designed by Harry Payne still survive in Huntsville, each of which, like the Gibbs Home, has contributed to the city’s landscape.

[In 1931] SHSU President Harry Estill employed Payne to design his retirement home. This revival-style bungalow still stands at 1614 University and now houses the Episcopal Student Union.

Payne’s crowning achievement was the Sam Houston Memorial Museum, built in 1936, the 100th anniversary of the Texas Revolution. The museum, modeled after Jefferson’s Monticello, maintains an imposing presence in the center of town, amidst Sam Houston Park between the historic avenues and Sam Houston State University, not far off the downtown square.

On the Road to the SHSU Observatory

Did you know you can get to the SHSU Observatory (where the planets were hung and the stars swung around the second story) in less than 90 seconds?

Well it would be nice if you could.

Historical Group Celebrating 25 Years With Party

From the Item:

Charged with the task of researching and preserving local history, the Walker County Historical Commission has been the key to maintaining that history and educating residents and visitors alike about the area’s past. After several decades of service, the commission has become a part of the very history it treasures and will celebrate its 25th anniversary on Sunday with a party after their regular meeting at 3 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public, as are all of the WCHC meetings, which are held on the third Sunday of each month. All of the meetings, as well as the anniversary celebration, are held at the Gibbs-Powell House/Museum on 11th Street.

Bowers Stadium Renovations

The July 10 edition of the Item discusses some of the changes to the exterior of Bowers Stadium.

Gaertner Outlines SHSU’s 10-Year Plan

The Item reports that SHSU President James Gaertner outlined SHSU's 10-year master plan to the Huntsville Rotary Club during its weekly meeting Wednesday at West Hill Mall; topics included:

He covered classroom space — current and what is needed — housing, parking — current and what is needed — and athletics and intramurals, where an additional 10 acres are needed.

Gaertner said nothing in particular stands out about the plan, which covers the entire campus and includes a new student center, replacing the Lowman Student Center.

“If anything would stand out, it would be the South Quad area that has all the new academic buildings and creates a new academic quadrangle on campus,” he said. “The whole plan is important.

Gaertner said the LSC was built in the early 1960s and “it has gotten to the point where it’s getting outdated and needs to come down. It was renovated about eight or nine years ago.

“We won’t tear it down until three or four years from now. It will come down. It needs to. We will build a new student center right there in the same place in the middle of the campus.”

Some of the housing buildings scheduled to be demolished include Smith-Kirkley, Recital Hall, White Hall, Allen House, Vick House, Sorority Hill, Art Complex, Thomason Building, and Barrett House.

New buildings scheduled to be constructed on the SHSU campus include agriculture, forensic science, college of business, biology and allied health, integrated engineering and criminal justice expansion.

“We hope to build a couple of residential halls,” he said. They are included in a six-year plan along with intramural fields which would be moved to where the agriculture center is now located off Interstate 45. All ag center facilities would be moved to the location off state Highway 75 North [Gibbs Ranch].

Gaertner said the campus will take on a new look in upcoming years, but “it has changed a lot. It has changed from when I was a student. Over the past 10 years it has changed some and the next 10 years it will change again."

June 2009 Regents Report

A new degree, program changes, a building name change, and faculty promotions and tenure were all approved Friday for Sam Houston State University by its governing board. Today@Sam reports that the Texas State University System Board of Regents took the action during its regular quarterly meeting in San Marcos:

...Sam Houston State University was authorized to re-name Academic Building II, which houses the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, in honor of Margaret Lea Houston, the wife of General Sam Houston.

"The re-naming of the building would honor Mrs. Houston's contributions to our state and her family's legacy, and it would recognize her as one of the most significant women in Texas history," [SHSU President James] Gaertner told the regents.

"Moreover, it would strengthen and enhance university tradition, while giving distinct identity to the facility, which is across the street from the Sam Houston Memorial Museum where two of the Houston family residences are located," he added.

Physical Plant update: May 2009

The Physical Plant sneaked in another update recently and here’s a brief recap of what’s happening:

Book takes a historical look at Huntsville

From the Item:

Last year, Jeff Littlejohn partnered with the Walker County Historical Commission and began to research a book of photographs chronicling the story of Huntsville from its establishment to the mid-20th century.

The result is Huntsville, the latest installment in Arcadia Publishing’s “Images of America” series. The book will hit stores May 4.

Huntsville will be available May 4 at online bookstores and local bookstores. Author Jeff Littlejohn will be featured at a book signing at the Huntsville Hasting’s on May 30 from 1-3 p.m.

Regents Approve SHSU Facility In The Woodlands

Today@Sam reports that the Texas State University System Board of Regents voted to approve a Special Warranty Deed in which the Lone Star College System will deed seven acres on the LSC’s Woodlands campus to the Texas State University System for use by SHSU.

In addition, the regents approved an agreement to construct an academic building for SHSU at The Woodlands site to be shared with Lone Star College for 20 years.

Conditions for the agreement include Lone Star College offering only freshman and sophomore level courses at the facility. Obligations for the Texas State University System include beginning construction of the facility within four years and Sam Houston State offering only junior, senior and graduate level courses.

Writing on the Wall celebrates 130

On April 21, 1879 – 130 years ago today – Sam Houston Normal Institute was officially authorized by Governor Oran Roberts (SHNI opened that October). To celebrate, can you identify the building or location where we took the photo of the number 130 as part of the exciting buildingshsu scavenger hunt:

We were surprised to find during our March 8, 2009 visit to campus that something was now covering the Ø on this building. Bonus points if you can identify what that object is.

(Yes, we know our Texas history – it’s also the 173rd anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto today, too.)

Psychological Services Center Open House

The SHSU Psychological Services Center (PSC) will celebrate the move to its new location with an open house celebration on Friday, May 1 from 3-6 p.m.

Today@Sam reports that the PSC opened in 1999 and its staff

"including approximately 12 doctoral students per semester and several licensed psychologists, offers affordable therapy for both adults and children with problems such as anxiety disorders, depression and behavior problems, or who need grief counseling or anger management."

Appreciating the Peabody Library

TV's Michael Oder discovered a bit of history on campus recently. He shares his story of finding a pamphlet and, in turn, learning something about the Peabody Library:

The pamphlet is a short history on the Peabody Library and Sam Houston State University. Only 9 pages long, it showcases a small window into the early, developmental years of my University.

Writing on the Wall #3

We go for a third letter (thus completing the word “the”) in the big buildingshsu scavenger hunt. Can you identify the building or location where we took the photo:

Here’s another haiklu:

The building of his fancy
Would another name be as sweet
It is (one of) the east

Open House for CHSS Building

Sam Houston State University will host a ribbon cutting and open house for the $30 million College of Humanities and Social Sciences building on Friday, March 20. The ceremony for the largest academic building on campus will be at 1:30 followed by an open house from 2:30-4:00. The ceremony will include remarks by College of Humanities and Social Sciences Dean John de Castro, President James F. Gaertner and Chancellor of the Texas State University System Dr. Charles Matthews.

KatFans: Fixing Austin Hall?

A discussion has started at KatFans discussing the state of Austin Hall, SHSU’s oldest building:

I've been going by Austin Hall a lot recently, and every time I've gone by I've noticed more and more stuff on the outside of the building that's been falling into disrepair (missing shutters, peeling paint, huge chunks missing from the pillars on the back side, etc). Because of Austin Hall's historical significance for the university and for the state, I've made my new goal in life to get Austin Hall repaired and restored.

I'm trying (unsuccessfully) to find any state funding that may be set aside for preservation of historical sites (Austin Hall has the Texas Historical Commission medallion on the back part of the building). I've been looking on the THC's website, but really haven't been able to find anything. Does anyone here know anything about any money that may be set aside for this by the state?

Today@Sam: Symposium to discuss Local, National History

Local students, scholars and community members will come together to discuss history and a wide range of other disciplines during the first Sam Houston Symposium on Saturday, February 28.

The all-day event, which will begin at 8:30 a.m., will bring presenters from across the state to the Katy and E. Don Walker, Sr., Education Center, for panel discussions on such topics as the Civil War, Huntsville’s prisoner of war camp during World War II, and civil rights stories from the Huntsville Latino community, as well as art, political science and archaeology.

Among the highlights of the program is a roundtable on local research and archival collections, during which people can learn where to research and how to share their family papers through a digitization project at the Newton Gresham Library. The panel will also include David Gerleman, an assistant editor of the “Papers of Abraham Lincoln,” who will not only discuss the collection but also a newly-discovered letter from Gen. Sam Houston’s brother William to Lincoln.

Walking Trail on Campus Established

The February 19 issue of the Houstonian discusses the University Wellness Committee’s walking path through campus:

The campus walking route passes through 1.5 miles of the campus and is marked by stand-alone and piggybacking route signs, along with a large map between the Coliseum and the HKC detailing the route.

The walking path may serve as not only a scenic exercise trail, but a tour for those unfamiliar with the campus as well, giving a view of Bowers Stadium, the intramural fields, the Newton Gresham Library, the Performing Arts Center, the Criminal Justice buildings, the "duck pond" at the Sam Houston Museum, and many other local amenities.

To learn more, visit the SHSU Recreational Sports website.

Writing on the Wall #2

It’s time for another letter in the big buildingshsu scavenger hunt: can you identify the building or location where we took the below photo? Here’s this month's letter and haiklu:

A game of old
Men of spring catch their fever
Observed from the right field

Gibb's Ranch - An SHSU Tradition

Today’s Houstonian highlights some of the history of SHSU’s Gibbs Ranch:

In Development: Northside Dining Hall

We mentioned last year the impending demolition of Lawrence and Mitchell Houses to make room for the new northside dining hall. The Physical Plant has published some photographs of the new eatery to be located due north of Belvin-Buchanan Hall.

The project is to begin in the summer of 2009; no completion date is given.

The Influence of Two

Nwlanews.com shares the history of the First United Methodist Church of Minden, Louisiana that was founded in 1839 (meaning they’re celebrating their 170th year). John Agan’s December 26 article focuses on the “careers and legacies of George Washington Bains, pastor of the church from 1845 until 1850 and William Carey Crane, pastor during 1861-62.” Each has some interesting Huntsville connections:

In 1850, the Bains family moved to Huntsville, Texas, where he preached and began a lifelong friendship with Sam Houston. It was after crossing the Sabine River and becoming a Texan that he added the “e” to his last name, for reasons unknown. From that point forward he was known as George Washington Baines. During his ministry in Texas he was the pastor of churches at Huntsville, Independence, Anderson, Fairfield, Springfield, Butler, Florence, and Salado.

Elsewhere:

William Carey Crane served as pastor of the Independence Baptist Church for eighteen years and was active in the Texas Baptist State Convention. He was a prolific author and wrote a classic biography of Sam Houston. Crane was the first president of the Texas State Teachers Association and was chairman of the committee that recommended the founding of Sam Houston Normal Institute (now Sam Houston State University). He was a leader in the reorganization of the Texas public school system after Reconstruction.

Item: Winter lock-in planned at library

From the January 27 issue of the Item:

The Huntsville Public Library, in collaboration with the Walker County Genealogical Society, will host its annual Winter Genealogy Lock-In February 8 from 12:30-6 p.m. at the library.

The event is open to the public and free of charge, and is geared toward giving amateur genealogists a chance to consult with and gain information from members of the genealogical society, who will be on hand throughout the event.

People attending the event will have the opportunity to research using the full resources of the library and the Johnnie Jo Sowell Dickenson Genealogy Room, which contains hundreds of books, microfilms and maps from Walker County, the State of Texas and beyond.

Writing on the Wall #1

Not too long ago we received an email from a visitor who had enjoyed reading about the history of the buildings, but was a bit miffed at being unable to "find" all the letters from the website’s masthead on campus. We gave her a clue as to where she could find the letter if she wanted to track it down for herself. And that pretty much gave us the idea for this “game.”

Think of it as a scavenger hunt: can you identify the building or location where we took the photos that make up the buildingshsu masthead? How observant are you? How well do you know the SHSU campus? Want to earn the admiration of your friends or family? Want to win absolutely nothing from the buildingshsu webmaster? See if you can figure what writing is on the wall...or some other part of a building (whatever).

Here’s the first letter and your first haiklu:

It’s staring at the sun
Remember one man's ceiling
Another man's floor

Video: Campus Timelapse

SHSU Campus Timelapse from Brian Nietfeld on Vimeo.

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences Building opens

The newest (and fifth) “academic building” has opened on campus. The completion of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences Building – originally referred to as Academic Building V – means a number of departments (and Dean de Castro) will be starting off the new year in a new home. Moving to the CHSS building are:

• CHSS dean’s suite;
• Departments of sociology, psychology and philosophy;
• The Student Advising and Mentoring (SAM) Center relocates from Academic Building IV (that area will later be filled by Career Services);
• The Political Science department move over from Academic Building One;
• The Accounts Payable and Business offices hop over from the Administration Building;
• Human Resources, Payroll, and Purchasing jump over from the Estill Building;

Today@Sam points out that the vacated offices will obviously cause future moves within other buildings, which Today@Sam goes over in more detail if you’re into that sort of thing. Of note is that the clinical psychology program will move into the Career Services building in February 2009.

According to Meagan Ellsworth’s January 13th Houstonian article, “students were in classes [Monday] morning and accessing faculty offices as well. The fourth floor is still having last things done to it.” And they have a computer lab.

Construction on the 150,000 square foot building began in the summer of 2007.

'Sam Houston' Project Launches Website

A website developed as a companion piece to a documentary on the life of Samuel Houston, featuring commentary by two Sam Houston Memorial Museum staff members, has been launched by The Sam Houston Project. Among its features are a chronological time line of the general's life, GPS-coordinated maps of important Houston sites, and resources for teachers.

The soon-to-be-completed documentary, “Sam Houston,” is a comprehensive chronicle of Houston’s life from his birth in Virginia through his time in Tennessee, in the U.S. Senate and beyond.

While the film, the first video biography of the general, is still incomplete, Texas history buffs from around the world and educators can get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of what’s to come through the launch of its companion website Samhoustonmovie.com.