What is the Texas Historical Commission website (thc.texas.gov)?

Updated

thc.texas.gov is the official website of the Texas Historical Commission (THC), a Texas state agency focused on preserving and promoting the state's history. It serves two broad audiences at once: travelers looking for historic sites, events, and road trips, and property owners, local groups, or project applicants who need preservation programs, tax credits, or regulatory project review. If you want to visit a state historic site or plan a history-themed trip, the site is a starting point; if you are working on a preservation or rehabilitation project, it is where you find the relevant programs and submission tools.

What the site covers

The homepage organizes its work into a few main areas:

  • Historic Sites — state-run sites you can visit, each with its own history. Examples listed on the site include:
    • San Jacinto Battleground, a 1,200-acre park with the San Jacinto Monument and Museum, tied to Texas' independence from Mexico in 1836
    • Washington-on-the-Brazos, known as "Where Texas Became Texas," where delegates met on March 1, 1836
    • French Legation, one of the oldest homes in Austin
    • Port Isabel Lighthouse, an 1852 lighthouse on the Texas coast
    • Casa Navarro, the restored 19th-century San Antonio home of an early Texas leader
    • Presidio La Bahía, established in 1749 during the Spanish colonial period
    • Fulton Mansion, a late-1800s home overlooking Aransas Bay
  • Events — activities and programming at state historic sites
  • Historic Sites Atlas — a reference resource for locating historic sites
  • Historical Markers — state historical markers that commemorate buildings, military sites, events, and individuals
  • Texas Time Travel — described as a curated, one-stop resource for planning trips into Texas' past
  • The Medallion — the agency's magazine, with the latest issue covering commercial and cultural Texas treasures

Preservation programs and funding

Beyond tourism, the site is a working resource for preservation:

  • Preservation programs — information on the THC's preservation work, grants and other funding, and tourism and economic development assistance
  • Tax credits — the THC administers both a state and a federal tax credit program for rehabilitating historic buildings, with information on the process and how to apply
  • Main Street — the Texas Main Street Program, aimed at reviving local economies and bringing communities together
  • Project review — you can submit a project to the THC's regulatory counsel; for expedited service, the site points to eTRAC, its online processing tool, along with guidance on what to send in for project review

Who it is for

If you are... The site helps you...
A traveler or family Find historic sites, events, and curated road trips
A researcher or history enthusiast Look up historical markers and the Historic Sites Atlas
A property owner or developer Understand rehabilitation tax credit programs and how to apply
A local community or Main Street group Access preservation, funding, and economic development assistance
Someone with a project needing review Submit to the THC's regulatory counsel, with eTRAC for expedited processing

How to use it

Start from the section that matches your goal. If you want to visit or plan a trip, go to Historic Sites, Events, or Texas Time Travel. If you have a preservation or rehabilitation project, go to the preservation, tax credit, or project review pages, and use eTRAC if you need expedited processing. If you are researching Texas history topics, the Historical Markers and Historic Sites Atlas sections are the most direct references.