The Historic First Baptist Church of San Marcos, Texas, is in the running to win the national “Vote Your Main Street” preservation campaign sponsored by American Express, National Geographic, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Main Street America.
The top 10 projects with the most votes will each win $150,000 in grant funding. With only one week left in the voting competition, the San Marcos Main Street Program is asking for the public’s help and participation to secure a victory for the Historic First Baptist Church.
Any supporter of this project is welcome to visit the Main Street office, located at 317 N LBJ Dr., and pick up a free t-shirt while supplies last. The artwork of the Historic First Baptist Church featured on the shirt was drawn by San Marcos High School art student Isabella de la Iglesia. The public is invited to wear the shirt at any point this week to help promote the vote in the final days of the contest.
San Marcos is one of 20 cities across the country in the running for this grant, and is the only community in Texas competing against powerhouses like New York City, Chicago, Boston and San Francisco.
“The impact this church has had on Texas history and the San Marcos community is immeasurable and is the reason why our program is fighting hard to win,” said San Marcos Interim Main Street Program Manager Josie Falletta. “The Historic First Baptist Church deserves to be preserved because its history needs to be remembered.”
How to Vote:
- Go to voteyourmainstreet.org/sanmarcos
- Create an account
- Verify your email
- Cast all 5 of your allotted votes for our project, the Historic First Baptist Church, every day through Oct. 26!
For more information visit landmarkofhope.splashthat.com or contact the San Marcos Main Street at mainstreet@sanmarcostx.gov or 512.393.8430
About the Historic First Baptist Church
The congregation’s original sanctuary was built in 1866 in the historically Black Dunbar neighborhood. In 1873, the church was burned down and later rebuilt in 1908 in its current location. For the better part of a century, the church was the cultural hub of the community and regularly hosted congregations, weddings, graduations and classes. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) held its meetings and organized at the church.
The church has been vacant since 1986, when the congregation relocated. If the project is determined a winner of this grant, the funding will be used to weatherproof the building and shore it up structurally.
About the Partners in Preservation Grant:
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, Main Street America and American Express are working together to bring $2 million in preservation funding to projects on America’s Main Streets through a public participation process that will raise awareness of the work being done across the country to revitalize Main Streets and neighborhood districts in small towns, mid-sized cities, and urban centers across America. The public is engaged in an online voting campaign to help determine the winning projects.
About the San Marcos Main Street Program:
San Marcos was designated in 1986 as an official Main Street City by the Texas Historical Commission and the National Trust for Historic Preservation and remains one of the oldest Main Street programs in the state. The vision of the San Marcos Main Street Program is to foster a downtown that is a unique and culturally vibrant destination, where local businesses thrive and people of all ages can connect, create and celebrate.