The greatest way our organization fulfills its mission is through brick-and-mortar projects. In our 46-year history, we have completed nine and at this time, we have three in progress!
Projects
The greatest way our organization fulfills its mission is through brick-and-mortar projects. In our 46-year history, we have completed nine and at this time, we have three in progress!
1174 N. 1st St.
The Elks Arts Center, located at 1174 N. 1st St., has been a prominent building of Abilene, Texas, since it was built in 1913. Following its opening night to the public on New Years Eve of 1914, it was housed by the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE), a society founded in 1868 by local businessmen, which is what the B, P, O, and E that are on the N. 1st. St. side of the building stands for. The BPOE society continued to house the Elks until 1937. It stood vacant from then until 1942 when it was sold to the U.S. Government for the United Service Organization (USO). The USO housed the Elks until 1945 when it was sold to the American Legion Post (ALP), and by the ALP until 1947 when it was sold to the City of Abilene.
While under the ownership of the City of Abilene at this time, it remained vacant other than the use of the Army and Air Force Recruiting and Induction Main Station. The Elks also began to house the overflow of City Hall and it was renamed the “City Hall Annex”. By 1960, the Elks was completely occupied by city personnel. By 1966, the Elks building was vacant again. From 1969 to 1988 different businesses and organizations leased the building until they stopped due to the lack of maintenance and extreme neglect of the structure. The Elks again sat vacant until 1991 when the Abilene Preservation League (APL) negotiated with the City of Abilene to become the owners of the building. The APL was granted the ownership of the building under the condition that it would follow the set of guidelines established by “The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties” to maintain, repair, and replace the needs of this structure.
The Elks Arts Center was entered into the National Register of Historic Places on December 18, 1991, and the APL has kept their word by keeping this building in good standing since. Just this year, the ballroom windows have been restored, the A/C units and elevator have been updated, the lower-level windows and side door have received a new layer of paint, a mailbox slot was put in the side door, and the layout of the office received a facelift! We will have also rented the lower-level, board room, and ballroom out 18 times by the end of this year; have had two renters in our office space, including Cultura Local who uses the lower-level for their organization’s mission each week; and have hosted the ACU Swing Cats party, a two-day police department training course, and the Abilene Society of Model Railroaders during the Abilene Railroad Festival!
We, the Abilene Preservation League, look forward to continuing our mission to preserve historic properties and promote preservation in and around our beloved Abilene by setting a good example of what that looks like through the preservation and restoration of our headquarters, the Elks Arts Center!
633 S. 11th Street
The previous owner of Abilene Courts donated the property to the APL in August 2020 as a last-ditch effort to save this National Register of Historic Places site. Unfortunately, at this point it was too late to save the bulk of the building. Years of neglect, coupled with a major hail storm, left the building vulnerable to the elements and resulted in significant damage to the site. The bulk of the building had to be removed. Despite this loss, this historically significant site can remain preserved for future generations. Its iconic front facade, the principal historic elevation, remains intact. The APL is determined to preserve this architecturally distinctive facade and we need your help.
102 N. 2nd St.
Coming soon.
