LCRA, City of Luling award $20,000 grant to Luling Area Oil Museum for HVAC, remodeling - LCRA - Energy, Water, Community LCRA, City of Luling award $20,000 grant to Luling Area Oil Museum for HVAC, remodeling - LCRA - Energy, Water, Community




LCRA, City of Luling award $20,000 grant to Luling Area Oil Museum for HVAC, remodeling

Second floor upgrades will allow popular meeting site to host more events

Nov. 2, 2021

LCRA and City of Luling representatives present a $20,000 grant to the Luling Area Oil Museum for remodeling upgrades and a new HVAC. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program. Pictured, from left to right, are: Ashley Flores, museum executive director; Jason Playfair, museum board member; Rick Arnic, LCRA Regional Affairs representative; Martha Velasquez, Luling city secretary; Bill Cheshire, museum board member; C.J. Watts, Luling City Council member, Ward 5, and mayor pro tem; Mike Hendricks, Luling mayor; Mark Mayo, Luling city manager; Tracy Perryman, museum board president; Maurice “Butch” Ward, museum board member; Carol Freeman, LCRA Board member; Phyllis Hillhouse, museum board member; and Alexis Cappleman, museum treasurer.

LULING, Texas – A grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and the City of Luling will help the Luling Area Oil Museum complete the installation of a new energy-efficient geothermal heating and air-conditioning system, as well as complete remodeling work to provide additional meeting space.

The $20,000 Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with nearly $7,000 in matching funds, will allow more events to be held at the museum by making upstairs meeting space available.

Museum Executive Director Ashley Flores said the improvements represent important steps following years of work on the building, which in addition to preserving the memories and significance of the oil industry in Central Texas, provides meeting space for local community groups.

“We have quite a few organizations who have the keys and hold meetings here,” Flores said. “Meetings with economic development representatives and government representatives are held here, and it’s a hub for major downtown events throughout the year.”

The museum regularly hosts meetings of the Luling Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the Luling Tourism Board of Directors, the Luling Main Street Board of Directors, the Caldwell County Ag Extension Office and more. It’s also integral to events such as the Children’s Art Show, popular Cajun and barbecue cookoffs, and others.

Flores said museum officers have spent many hours working to improve the building themselves to make sure the community has a place to be proud of, and this phase will help ensure that becomes a reality.

“We’re talking hands-on – hammers, nails, caulk, paint,” she said. “On the holidays, we were working. But we did not plan on being contractors, so we are ready for it to be over! This has been such a big project. It’s exciting and huge for us.”

Museum Board President Tracy Perryman said the museum is the result of a team effort.

“Without the hard work, dedication and support of the community, this facility and project would not exist,” Perryman said. “Countless hours have gone into preserving the historic building. From the roof to the basement, from installing a new elevator to the first geothermal HVAC system in Luling. We are so proud of how far we’ve come.”

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 Luling 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.

Media Contact
Clara Tuma
512–578–3292
[email protected]