LCRA, City of Goldthwaite award $5,000 grant to Mills County Historical Museum - LCRA - Energy, Water, Community LCRA, City of Goldthwaite award $5,000 grant to Mills County Historical Museum - LCRA - Energy, Water, Community




LCRA, City of Goldthwaite award $5,000 grant to Mills County Historical Museum

128-year-old museum building will receive much-needed help to repair termite damage

Dec. 2, 2021

LCRA and City of Goldthwaite representatives present a $5,000 grant to the Mills County Historical Museum for building repairs. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program. Pictured, from left to right, are: Gayle Smith, museum board member; Sylvia Bindel, volunteer; Don Kissire, museum board president; Brenda Brooks, museum board member; Linda Johnson, museum board vice president; Wes Johnson, museum member; Martha Leigh M. Whitten, LCRA Board member; Carol Freeman, LCRA Board member; Rose Head, museum board member; James Knight, museum board member; Carolyn Vasquez, museum board secretary; Wayne Ketchum, museum board member; Ramona Flores, Goldthwaite mayor pro tem and museum board member; and Steve Dyer, LCRA Regional Affairs representative.

GOLDTHWAITE, Texas – A $5,000 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and the City of Goldthwaite will help the Mills County Historical Museum repair termite damage and strengthen the structural integrity of its building, which was built in 1893.

The repair work will help protect historical artifacts, fragile documents, pictures and historical books housed in the museum. It also will make the museum safer for visitors who come from all parts of Texas as well as from out of state.

“We get so many visitors who are interested in the building’s history and its architectural style,” said Gayle Smith, museum board member. “We don’t want to change the look of the building. It’s important for us to stay true to its original design.”

Smith said the museum provides access to vital records for visitors seeking to reconnect with their family roots. She said it is important for the community to have a place to share its collective history.

“Families reach out to us for information about their genealogy and family history,” Smith said. “They are often eager to share their family stories with us. We appreciate the human aspect behind the records and artifacts we house.”

The museum also collaborates with the local library and botanical garden to host a variety of children’s educational programs.

The grant will help enhance downtown Goldthwaite by keeping the museum attractive and preserving a part of the town’s history. Over the years, the building has been home to a grocery store, blouse factory, radio station, doctor’s office and an overflow site for the former Saylor Hotel.

The community grant is one of 32 grants awarded recently through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program, which helps volunteer fire departments, local governments, emergency responders and nonprofit organizations fund capital improvement projects in LCRA’s wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas. The program is part of LCRA’s effort to give back to the communities it serves. The City of Goldthwaite is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and is a partner in the grant program.

Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in January. More information is available at lcra.org/cdpp.

About LCRA
The Lower Colorado River Authority serves customers and communities throughout Texas by managing the lower Colorado River; generating and transmitting electric power; providing a clean, reliable water supply; and offering outdoor adventures at more than 40 parks along the Colorado River from the Texas Hill Country to the Gulf Coast. LCRA and its employees are committed to fulfilling our mission to enhance the quality of life of the Texans we serve through water stewardship, energy and community service. LCRA was created by the Texas Legislature in 1934 and receives no state appropriations. For more information, visit lcra.org.

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