We’re carrying the conversation about their preservation into the public space through media outreach such as this and through educational outreach with presentations to interested groups.

Dance Hall Preservation, Inc. Deb is a fifth-generation Texan of German-Polish heritage, a native of San Antonio Texas and current resident of Guadalupe County. It also serves as a

DF: The database allows us—and all Texans—to know what we have and what is at stake. Texas Dance Hall Preservation, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the public awareness, preservation, and continuing use of historic dance halls in Texas. She also learned that two years later he commissioned a bell to be made in Poland; the bell still hangs in the church bell tower and still signals the Mass. As attorneys, CPAs, architects, event promoters, preservationists, historians and business people, they bring a wide skill set to the table that is an important resource.

Anytime we were going to a wedding, my mother would always tell my dad, ‘Just make sure the kids get home okay.’”. In addition to our magazines, we send regular newsletters to share info about events, businesses AND the antiques shows.

Central European immigrants brought about dance halls. Any personal information you provide to us including and similar to your name, address, telephone number and e-mail address will not be released, sold, or rented to any entities or individuals outside of the Round Top Register. Communities and dance halls were often located within a one day ride of one another. became one of the crucial vehicles for the development of Texas music in the twentieth century. Unsubscribe at any time. Every story helps spread the word.

Every penny raised goes directly to the halls! Success! This is the case in places such as Austin and Fayette counties in particular. We recognize that historic dance halls serve as the heart of communities across Texas and define our culture as a state. As of 2015 TDHP has been instrumental in publicizing the historical and modern cultures of Texas dance halls through stories in Texas Highways, Indeed, they were often the most prominent landmarks in these early settlements. DF: Our first goal is raising public awareness of the importance of historic dance halls and bringing their current plight to light. Our board of directors is a great source of information on everything from promoting events to meeting the stringent requirements of historic preservation and earning federal and state tax credits. Now check your email to confirm your subscription. There are a lot more dance halls than just Luckenbach. This site contains ads and affiliate links. Subscribe to our newsletter and be the first to receive Round Top antiques show info. Saving Texas Dance Halls, one two-step at a time. newsletter archives; tdhp in the news; events; about us. Texas Monthly, Texas Architecture, 3rd Coast Music, Texas Music magazine and other publications, as well as in features on National Public Radio No trip through this part of the world is complete without a stop at one of these historic gathering places because music, food, family and friends have been part of the region’s fabric since its settling. ..’ Along the way though, we’d stop and meet people—and learn about life in their communities.”.

For me, it’s all about the building, the floor, the people and the music. From the nineteenth century brass bands, polka bands, string bands, and fiddle-oriented ranch dance ensembles, the Plus, knowing the status of the individual halls will allow us to prioritize our funding efforts when the fund becomes available. If you liked this article, be sure to subscribe to our e-newsletter so that you don't miss future ones. The Preservation Fund is where the rubber meets the road. RTR: What prompted its creation? Texas dance halls are in crisis. Deb Fleming, president of Texas Dance Hall Preservation, Inc., explained, “When immigrants came through Indianola and Galveston, many followed the river systems north to ensure they had easier portages and water to drink. People all over the world are intrigued and drawn to our Texas halls and our Texas music and dancing. Communities can’t keep the hall doors open if the roof caves in.

We want to help keep that legacy alive. [pullquote width=”300″ float=”left”]“These community-centered dance halls give each one of us a time and a place. Fourteen of the recordings he engineered have received. There used to be dance halls like this all over Texas, according to Steph McDougal, co-founder of Texas Dance Hall Preservation Inc. As Europeans from Germany and countries like Moravia and Silesia — now the Czech Republic — came and settled across Texas through chain migration, these halls became the focal points of settlements and towns. It’s happening—and it’s exciting. In time, they People settled in closer proximity to each other in the eastern areas than they did farther west and north where it took more land to sustain a family and growing communities. Owning and running a hall is a full-time running a hall is a full-time job, so if we can save the owners time and energy by providing answers and being more of an active resource. Some buildings such as the Alamo and the other missions sit in hallowed places of honor within our state; our historic dance halls occupy the same places of honor within our communities. “Growing up in San Antonio, my folks took us on long drives through the country to show us how ‘real poor people lived.’ He’d point out the shanties on the back roads in answer to our childhood complaints of ‘How come we can’t . “My mother came from the country—she picked cotton in rural Mississippi—and eventually made her way to Baltimore where she earned scholarships and a nursing degree from Johns Hopkins. These halls are our touchstones, our center points. as central cultural institutions that usually provided a gathering place for numerous overlapping functions included singing clubs (Gesangvereins), Mr. Harper has served on the Texas Chapter of The Recording Academy Board as President, Trustee and Governor. “Some were three-day events with plenty of food, dancing and beer drinking. These funds will help 32 dance halls across the state pay for the building costs they’ve had to pay since April, with little to no income. TDHP was founded in 2007 by Texas music historian and entrepreneur Stephen Dean, historical preservation professional Steph McDougal, and structural engineer and preservationist Patrick Sparks. immigrants from central Europe. “This area stretching from Galveston to Temple on the north and San Antonio/Austin on the west was relatively close. As a result, Fleming got a city upbringing with a rural flavor. Texas (2004); Gail Folkins, Texas Dance Halls: A Two-Step Circuit (2007); and Stephen Dean, Historic Dance Halls of East Central The discovery changed her life and ignited her passion for the history of Texas communities, many of which centered on dance halls. Her ancestry reflects the melting pot that is Texas and gave her a taste of two worlds. DF: When you walk in a Texas dance hall, it’s unlike any other place in the entire world.

with them traditional, artisanal building crafts and, just as importantly, a powerful desire to maintain their cultural heritage on many levels, from preservation fund grants; historic designations; state historic tax credit; one sheet for dance halls; dance hall resources; get involved. The land was fertile and could be cultivated. Texas (2014). The original was created over time, but it hasn’t been updated since 2014. For more than 135 years, From the beginning, these halls were the focus of social dances.