thc.texas.gov

The Texas Historical Commission (THC) runs several distinct programs that help Texans preserve, fund, and promote historic places. If you own a historic building, lead a local organization, or want to mark a significant site, the relevant tools are the Historical Markers program, the state and federal rehabilitation tax credits, the agency's preservation grants and funding, its tourism and economic development assistance, and the Texas Main Street Program. Each has its own purpose and application path, so the right one depends on whether your goal is recognition, financing a rehabilitation, or revitalizing a downtown.

Historical Markers

The THC's Historical Markers program commemorates topics in Texas history. According to the agency, markers recognize:

• Buildings
• Military sites
• Events that changed the course of local and state history
• Individuals

This is the program to look at if your goal is official recognition of a person, place, or event rather than funding a construction project.

Tax credits for rehabilitating historic buildings

The THC administers both a state and a federal tax credit program for the rehabilitation of historic buildings. The agency describes these as programs you apply to through a defined process, and it points applicants to information on "the process and how to apply."

Two practical points follow from this:

• The credits apply to rehabilitation work, not new construction or general maintenance.
• Because there are two separate programs (state and federal), you should confirm which one fits your building and project before starting work, since eligibility rules and application steps differ.

The THC does not publish pricing on this page, so treat any cost or fee questions as something to verify directly with the agency.

Preservation programs, grants, and tourism/economic development assistance

Beyond markers and tax credits, the THC offers a broader set of preservation programs, including:

• Grants and other funding — the agency lists grants and other funding among its preservation programs.
• Tourism and economic development assistance — support aimed at communities leveraging history for economic benefit.

If you are a local government, nonprofit, or community group rather than an individual building owner, this is the category most likely to apply to you.

Texas Main Street Program

The THC describes the Texas Main Street Program as "a powerful tool for reviving local economies and bringing communities together to forge their future." It is a community revitalization program, so the natural applicant is a city or downtown organization rather than an individual. If your interest is revitalizing a historic commercial district, start here rather than with the marker or tax credit programs.

Submitting a project for review

The THC asks those "get started protecting Texas history" to submit a project to its regulatory counsel. For faster handling, it offers eTRAC, described as its online processing tool. The agency also provides guidance on what to send in for project review. In practice, this means:

1. Determine whether your project needs regulatory review.
2. Use eTRAC for expedited processing.
3. Check the "what to send in for project review" guidance before submitting so your packet is complete.

Which program fits your situation?

Where to go next

The THC homepage links directly to its Historic Sites, Atlas, Events, Store, Historical Markers, Historic Road Trips, and The Medallion magazine, along with Texas Time Travel for planning history-focused trips. For program specifics, application steps, and current requirements, work from the THC's own program pages and the eTRAC tool rather than secondary summaries, since eligibility and process details can change.

The Texas Historical Commission's site (thc.texas.gov) is the state agency's hub for locating historic sites and building a trip around them. Use it when you want to browse official state historic sites, find historical markers near a route, or follow a curated itinerary rather than assemble one from scratch. The site offers three practical entry points: the Historic Sites listings, the Historic Sites Atlas and Historical Markers tools, and Texas Time Travel for trip planning.

Start with the Historic Sites section

The Historic Sites area is where the THC presents the state historic sites it operates. Each entry gives background on the place and what it represents, so you can judge whether it fits your route before committing.

Examples named on the site include:

• San Jacinto Battleground — the 1836 battle that resulted in Texas' independence from Mexico; a 1,200-acre park containing the San Jacinto Monument and the San Jacinto Museum.
• Washington-on-the-Brazos — known as "Where Texas Became Texas," where delegates met on March 1, 1836 to formally announce Texas' intention to separate from Mexico.
• Port Isabel Lighthouse — the historic 1852 lighthouse on the Texas coast.
• French Legation — one of the oldest homes in Austin, and its transformation from a diplomatic post to a symbol of cultural exchange.
• Casa Navarro — the restored 19th-century San Antonio home of an influential early Texas leader.
• Presidio La Bahía — established in 1749 during the Spanish colonial period and described as crucial to Texas' development.
• Fulton Mansion — a late-1800s home with views of the Aransas Bay.

Individual site pages carry the background and visitor information you need to decide whether to stop.

Use Texas Time Travel for curated itineraries

Texas Time Travel is described as a curated, one-stop resource for planning a journey into Texas' past. Instead of building a route from individual site pages, you start here when you want a ready-made theme or tour. The site links out to specific tour stops — for example, a "See Tour Stops" link appears in connection with a Smithsonian tour feature. Treat Texas Time Travel as the planning layer and the individual site pages as the detail layer.

Locate places with the Atlas and Historical Markers

Two tools help you find history that isn't necessarily a staffed site:

• Historic Sites Atlas — a mapping-style resource for locating historic places across the state.
• Historical Markers — state historical markers commemorate buildings, military sites, events that changed local and state history, and individuals. Marker records are useful for adding smaller stops between major sites.

A practical workflow: pick a corridor you want to drive, check the Atlas and marker listings for that area, then cross-reference anything that looks worth a stop against its site page.

Plan around events and seasonal programming

The homepage surfaces current programming, such as Texas Archeology Month and touring exhibitions, alongside events at state historic sites. If your trip dates are flexible, checking these first can put you at a site during a special event rather than on an ordinary day.

If your interest is preservation rather than travel

The same site covers the THC's preservation side: grants and other funding, tourism and economic development assistance, state and federal tax credit programs for rehabilitating historic buildings, the Texas Main Street Program, and project review through eTRAC, the agency's online processing tool. These are separate from trip planning but live on the same domain, so it helps to know which section you actually need before you start clicking.

Quick reference

The Texas Historical Commission (THC) reviews projects that may affect Texas history and historic resources through its regulatory counsel, and you can submit a project for review either through the standard process or, for expedited service, through eTRAC, the agency's online processing tool. This applies to projects that touch historic buildings, archeological sites, or other historical resources in Texas. The THC's homepage directs visitors to "get started protecting Texas history by submitting a project to the THC's regulatory counsel," and points to eTRAC for faster handling.

Who needs to submit a project for review

You should use this process if your project could affect a historic resource in Texas. The THC frames project review as part of "protecting Texas history," so the trigger is whether your work involves or impacts historical resources rather than a specific project type listed on the homepage. If you are unsure whether your project falls under review, the regulatory counsel is the entry point to ask.

Two ways to submit

The homepage presents eTRAC specifically as the route "for expedited service," which implies the standard regulatory counsel submission is the baseline and eTRAC is the faster alternative.

What to send in for project review

The THC provides a dedicated page titled "What to send in for project review," which is the authoritative list of required materials. The homepage itself does not enumerate the specific documents, so the practical step is to open that page and follow its checklist before submitting. Treat it as the source of truth for your submission package rather than relying on a general description.

Steps to follow

1. Confirm your project affects a historic or archeological resource in Texas.
2. Go to the THC's project review section and read "What to send in for project review" to assemble the required materials.
3. Decide between standard submission to the regulatory counsel and expedited processing through eTRAC.
4. Submit through your chosen route and retain confirmation of submission.

Common sticking points

• Assuming eTRAC is required. It is positioned as the expedited option, not the only option.
• Skipping the materials checklist. The specific contents of a submission come from the "What to send in" page, not from the homepage summary.
• Submitting before confirming scope. If it's unclear whether your project affects historical resources, resolve that with the regulatory counsel first.

Related THC resources worth knowing

The same site covers adjacent programs you may need alongside project review: historical markers, state and federal tax credit programs for rehabilitating historic buildings, the Texas Main Street Program, and preservation grants and funding. If your project involves rehabilitation, the tax credit programs are administered by the THC and the homepage notes you can "read about the process and how to apply."

The Medallion is the Texas Historical Commission's magazine, and the latest issue is available to read on thc.texas.gov. The same site is the hub for THC news and events: an Events section covers activities at state historic sites, and the commission's social media accounts share updates and historical trivia. If you want to go further, the site also links to the THC Store and Friends of the THC.

Reading The Medallion

The Medallion is described on the homepage as "our magazine." The current issue is featured there, with a prompt to read the latest issue to learn more about commercial and cultural Texas Treasures in Central Texas.

• Where to find it: The Medallion appears in the site's main navigation and is highlighted on the homepage.
• What's in the latest issue: Coverage of commercial and cultural Texas Treasures in Central Texas, based on the homepage summary.
• How to read it: Follow the "Read" link associated with the latest issue feature on the homepage.

If you only want one thing from the site, this is it — the magazine is the THC's own editorial product, so it carries more depth than the short promotional blurbs elsewhere on the page.

Following News and Events

The homepage navigation includes an Events entry, which is where activities at state historic sites are listed. The page also invites visitors to follow the THC's social media accounts "to learn about activities and events at our state historic sites and other historical trivia."

The social media route is the better choice if you want ongoing updates rather than periodic reading; the Events section is better if you're planning a specific visit.

Planning Around What You Find

News and event listings are most useful when paired with the site's travel planning tools. Texas Time Travel is described as a "curated, one-stop shop for planning the most authentic journey into the sights and sounds of Texas' past," and the site also offers Historic Road Trips and a Historic Sites Atlas.

A practical sequence:

1. Check the Events section for something happening at a state historic site.
2. Use the Historic Sites Atlas or Texas Time Travel to build the rest of the trip around it.
3. Read The Medallion for background on the region you're visiting.
4. Follow the social accounts so you hear about the next round of events.

What Else the Site Offers

Beyond publications and events, the homepage points to several other functions:

• Historic Sites — individual pages for places such as San Jacinto Battleground, Washington-on-the-Brazos, French Legation, Port Isabel Lighthouse, Casa Navarro, Presidio La Bahía, and Fulton Mansion.
• Historical Markers — state historical markers commemorating buildings, military sites, events, and individuals.
• Preserve — preservation programs, grants and other funding, and tourism and economic development assistance.
• Tax Credits — state and federal tax credit programs for rehabilitation of historic buildings, with process and application information.
• Main Street — the Texas Main Street Program for reviving local economies.
• Project review — submitting a project to the THC's regulatory counsel, with eTRAC as the online processing tool for expedited service.

If your interest is specifically in following the commission rather than using its programs, The Medallion, the Events section, and the social media accounts are the three channels to bookmark.

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

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.