San Marcos Heritage

The Heritage Association of San Marcos’ 46th Annual Historic Spring Tour is fast approaching. This year, the Heritage Association has partnered with Texas State University for a tour of the University campus. Included in the tour is Old Main; tours every 30 minutes will showcase the top floor, which has an amazing cathedral ceiling as well as views over San Marcos. Sign up for a tour of the MakerSpace at the Alkek Library or the Bruce and Gloria Ingram Hall. Golf Carts will be available for those who are mobility impaired. Lemonade stops will be available along with cafes that the university will open for the day. Complimentary cocktails, mimosas, lemonade and live music will be available under the trees at the Richard A. Castro Undergraduate Admissions Center. Following the Tour, there will be a “Welcome to and Welcome Home Party for GJ Kinne and David Bailiff” at the Dan and Cindee Diepenhorst Champions Club from 5:30 - 9 p.m. Tickets are $45 per person and are available at the Heritage website, and everyone is welcome. Tickets include two complimentary drinks, heavy hors d’oeuvres and live music provided by Texas State University music department. There will also be a silent auction. Tickets are limited for this event. Go to heritagesanmarcos.org for tickets and more information.

Many university and college campuses in Texas have architectural gems that feature the best in historic preservation and modern structures, and Texas State University is no exception. From the Gothic design of Old Main to the modern marvel that is the Bruce and Gloria Ingram Hall, San Marcos is the beneficiary of the growth and excellence that Texas State has preserved and produced. Everything on this campus works harmoniously to create a place as beautiful as it is educational. The architectural legacy and community setting make San Marcos a highly desired location to live. The city and university collaboration to produce this year's Heritage Association of San Marcos Historic Tour is a monumental feat. Those who attend the 2023 Tour will marvel at the opportunities offered at Texas State University.

The columned façade of the Richard A. Castro Undergraduate Admissions Center provides a dignified welcome to prospective students who visit Texas State University’s San Marcos Campus for admissions, orientation, and registration.

“We like to think of ourselves as the front door of the university,” said Natalie Davis, the center’s office manager.

Architect Edward Northcraft — the same architect who later designed TXST’s original Old Main building in 1903 — built the Victorian home in 1884 for the Franklin family. In 1895, Thomas and Lucy Johnson bought the house and enlarged it for their growing family. They would eventually raise seven children in the home.

After a 1928 fire substantially damaged the house, the Johnsons rebuilt with the help of San Antonio architect Harvey P. Smith. His project salvaged the columns and some interior woodwork with results that characterize the home today.

Johnson descendants lived in the home until 1987 when TXST — then known as Southwest Texas State University — purchased the property and remodeled it to add offices and meeting rooms. The project retained original elements when possible, such as windows, glass doorknobs, the wooden staircase banister, a butler’s pantry and a fireplace in the customer service area.

“We’ve tried to keep the homey, family look of the house,” Davis said.

In 2014, TXST renamed the admissions center for Richard A. Castro, a 1970 graduate and El Paso businessman who has donated more than $2 million to support student scholarships.

Nearby, the Albert B. Alkek Library bustles daily with thousands of students who frequent the library for resources ranging from books to meeting spaces, tutoring, media studios and 3D printing.

TXST opened the library in 1990 and completed the most recent renovation in 2020. The work included a refresh of the second floor, home to the welcoming Ask Alkek info desk and the magnificent “History of Ranching” mural. The late Wimberley artist James Buchanan “Buck” Winn painted the mural in 1950 for the old Pearl Brewery in San Antonio, and TXST’s Wittliff Collections salvaged three panels spanning 82 feet.

On the library’s first floor, Alkek One serves as a home base for studios and workshops for the education and practice of technology-focused maker culture, immersive reality, time-based media, geographic information systems and digital design.

On the seventh floor, The Wittliff Collections archives and exhibits historic artifacts and records of Southwestern storytellers. The late author, screenwriter and photographer Bill Wittliff and his wife, Sally, founded the collection in 1986. With the opening of the Alkek Library, the Wittliff moved into its current home, becoming a hub for both researchers and enthusiasts of Southwestern literature, cinema, photography and music.

“Bill really wanted this to be a warm and inviting space for people to come,” said curator Steve Davis, pointing to the Saltillo tile flooring, stucco walls, wooden vigas and longleaf pine accents.

The Wittliff Collections’ nine galleries house permanent and rotating exhibits. Perhaps the biggest draw is the “Lonesome Dove” exhibit, which features a collection of props, costumes, drawings, photos and videos from the making of the TV miniseries.

The Texas Music Gallery’s current exhibit is “The Songwriters,” exploring Texas tunesmiths with priceless artifacts such as Stevie Ray Vaughan’s hat and boots. This summer, the gallery will transition to a new exhibit celebrating the 50th anniversary of Jerry Jeff Walker’s seminal album ¡Viva Terlingua!, which was recorded nearby in the Hill Country hamlet of Luckenbach.

The Heritage Association of San Marcos’ Historic Spring Tour covers some 20 iconic sites across the TXST campus, from its oldest building — the 1903 Old Main building — to one of its newest — the 2018 Bruce and Gloria Ingram Hall. Tour highlights include historic houses such as the Thornton International House and the Richard A. Castro Undergraduate Admissions Center; as well as a range of academic buildings that have evolved over the years, including the Comal Building, Centennial Hall, Flowers Hall, Taylor-Murphy History Building, Alkek Library, Emmett and Miriam McCoy Hall and the Undergraduate Academic Center. The tour also features artworks including The Wittliff Collections, LBJ Statue, Bobcat Statue, Vaquero Statue, Memorial Garden and Buck Winn’s “History of Ranching” and Flowers Hall murals.

These magnificent structures and sculptures are only a few of the many beautifully designed elements that Texas State is proud to showcase at this year’s Historic Tour. Each week watch for more articles on the Tour in the “San Marcos Daily Record.”

Presale tickets for Town & Gown: The Art and Architecture of Texas State University Tour tickets are $25 through May 19, $30 day of the event. Tickets to the Welcome To and Welcome Home Party For GJ Kinne and David Bailiff are $45. Go to heritagesanmarcos.org for tickets, MakerSpace registration, parking information, check-in locations, and tour maps.

This article is part of a series detailing the magnificent sites included in the tour on May 20.