Monthly Archives: June 2012

Pick up a paintbrush Saturday at Rosetyme

This Saturday, June 16th we’ll be having a work day at the J.D. Magee house at 1910 North 3rd Street. This is thought to be the oldest house in Abilene that was built with both electricity and running water. As you may remember, it suffered a tragic fire in 2008. The Preservation League has nearly finished stabilizing the house, and will be finding a new owner for the property now that it is dry and safe.

Work day – Saturday, June 16th


9:00 am to 1:30 p.m.
1910 North Third Street

This is only the second time we have had a volunteer work day there… mainly because the framing and a lot of the clean-up was just too much for volunteers. Jeff Luther Construction Co. has done a great job of getting the building stabilized, and now we are going to work on finding a new owner who can finish the job to make the house into a home again with the care it deserves.

Everyone volunteering Saturday: you’ll need to sign a release, and you’ll need to let us know what your skills/interests are. You can let us know that by taking a short survey. Click here to take survey

Rosetyme Priorities list including tools and labor type

1a skilled trim painters with sash brushes and blue tape and step ladders

1b not so skilled painters with 3 inch and 4 inch brushes and step l;adder

1c flexible persons using spray shields or rollers and pan near ground

1d flexible persons using caulking frames, sponges and rags

1e painters using 3 and 4 inch brushes on ladders and at heights

2a handy persons using cordless drills on hands and knees

2b if needed see 1c

3a light to moderate lifting and carrying

3b ladder climbing and chainsawing and stacking brush

3c operate push mower and weed eater or rakes

Volunteers may provide tools for tasks.

What a weekend! Have a festive Seuss time.

Beginning with tonight’s ArtWalk and running through Sunday, Abilene’s very first Children’s Art and Literary Festival, or C.A.L.F. for short, is happening. With a wealth of learning, reading literacy events for the whole family, this is a great opportunity to see what Abilene can do. From Lynn Barnett and crew of the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council to Bird Thomas, Darla Harmon and crew at the Center for Contemporary Arts,  Judy Deaton and Laura Moore at the Grace, to Debbie Lillick and crew at the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature, everyone deserves a pat on the back for their efforts. Everyone has knocked themselves out to give visitors the best experience imaginable, and keep them coming back in the next years.

For more information about the festival, visit the Cultural Affairs Council’s Web site.

Lincoln – Historic AHS is going on the National Register!

Lincoln-Historic AHS now on the National Register

Lincoln-Historic AHS now on the National Register

On May 19th the Texas Review Board for the National Register of Historic Places met in Georgetown, Texas to consider six nominations of properties to the Register. Abilene’s nomination of the former Abilene High School to the list was approved for forwarding to Washington and the Department of the Interior, which is the agency in charge of this prestigious list.

Many thanks to Abilene’s Historic Preservation Officer, Molinda Parker, for authoring the nomination. The panel could see that the property, which has been the site of education in Abilene since 1889, was certainly historic and had great community support. Now the challenge is to study the feasibility of various redevelopment options. Stay tuned for more information about these. If you would like to send us a comment or be on our Lincoln mailing list, please send us an email with your thoughts. Thanks!

A Swenson reception or party

Have you considered having a party, reception or banquet at Abilene’s only 100 year-old house museum, the Swenson House?

With the completion of the reconstructed Arbor, the Swenson has everything needed for a spectacular wedding venue, complete with a large dance floor adjoining the arbor so your guests can dance the night away under the stars on the south lawn. For an outdoor event with a tent, you can accommodate up to 200 guests. For more information call us at 325-676-3775 or email us. You may check availability of dates at this page. Click on “Check dates” at the top of the page.

The reconstruction of the 1928 Arbor is complete and landscaped this year.

The reconstruction of the 1928 Arbor is complete and landscaped this year.