Historical Marker Program
Historical markers and designations are tools you can use to interpret, promote and protect historic and cultural resources that are worthy of preservation. Through the designation process, properties important to Bosque County can be evaluated using established criteria and, if appropriate, marked for the education and enjoyment of citizens and visitors alike. The State of Texas has one of the most active and successful historical marker programs in the country. This includes Subject markers, which are solely educational in nature, Historic Texas Cemetery markers for previously state-designated historic cemeteries, and Recorded Texas Historic Landmark markers, which convey a legal designation for historic structures and buildings.
Bosque County Historic Preservation Markers
This is a local marker presented by the Bosque County Historical Commission for preservation efforts in the county. Markers are available to those properties recognized at the Annual Bosque County Preservation Luncheon.
Official Texas Historical Subject Markers
Texas historical subject markers are solely educational in nature. The historical subject marker process in Texas begins at the county level. The application must be reviewed and approved by the Marker Committee of the Bosque County Historical Commission (BCHC) before it is sent on to the Texas Historical Commission (THC) for final approval. Please note that the THC no longer allows subject markers for cemeteries.
Applications for new markers are only accepted by the THC once-per-year (currently March 1 through May 15). It is important to begin preparation of your application well ahead of the official THC application period and obtain BCHC approval. Applications for replacement markers (e.g., damaged or stolen) will be accepted all-year round. If you are interested in submitting a sponsorship application for a subject marker, review all the relevant information at the links below, and then contact the BCHC Marker Committee chair (markers@bosquechc.org).
The following documents are in PDF format and will open in a new window:
Application Requirements and Review Process
Application Evaluation Procedures
Marker Research Guides
Churches
Communities
Events
Historic Individuals
Houses and Buildings
Institutions
World War II
Marker Cost (as of March 2025)
| Application (required for all marker types) | $100 |
| Supplemental Placque 12" x 6" (for existing markers only) | $500 |
| Small Subject Marker 18" x 28" (with or without post) | $1550 |
| Large Subject Marker 27" x 42" (without post) | $2000 |
| Large Subject Marker 27" x 42" (with post) | $2500 |
Historic Texas Cemetery Markers
The Historic Texas Cemetery designation recognizes the importance of isolated family graveyards and other historic burial grounds. Historic Texas Cemetery markers are only available to cemeteries that have been previously designated as an Historic Texas Cemetery (HTC) by the Texas Historic Commission. The designation process occurs under a completely separate program (see this page for more about the HTC designation process). Once a cemetery has been designated as an Historic Texas Cemetery, the cemetery may obtain a marker although it is not required to do so. The application must be reviewed and approved by the Marker Committee of the Bosque County Historical Commission (BCHC) before it is sent on to the Texas Historical Commission (THC) for final approval. There are two basic marker options for an HTC marker: 1) a Medallion with a name and date plaque or 2) an interpretive marker with narrative text. The interpretive marker is essentially a subject marker but with the HTC Medallion integrated into the top.
Applications for a new interpretive marker with narrative text are only accepted during the once-per-year application period (March 1 through May 15), just like Subject Markers. Applications for a Medallion with a name and date plaque and replacement markers (e.g., damaged or stolen) will be accepted all-year round. If you haver already received HTC designation and are interested in submitting a sponsorship application for an HTC marker, review all the relevant information at the links below, and then contact the BCHC Marker Committee chair (markers@bosquechc.org).
Marker Research Guide for Interpretive Marker
Cemeteries
Marker Cost (as of March 2025)
| Application (required for all marker types) | $100 |
| Medallion Only (only to attach to existing subject marker) | $400 |
| Name and Date Plaque 12" x 18" with Medallion (with or without post) | $900 |
| Small Interpretive Marker 18" x 28" (with or without post) | $1550 |
| Large Interpretive Marker 27" x 42" (without post) | $2000 |
| Large Interpretive Marker 27" x 42" (with post) | $2500 |
Recorded Texas Historical Landmark Markers
Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks (RTHL) are properties that are at least 50 years old and judged to be historically and architecturally significant and worthy of preservation. This is a designation that comes with a measure of protection under state law because property owners are required to notify the THC in advance of altering the exterior of the building or structure. The owner’s consent is required to nominate a property as a RTHL. The purchase and display of the RTHL marker is a required component of the designation process.
Marker Research Guides
Houses and Buildings
Marker Cost (as of March 2025)
| Application (required for all marker types) | $100 |
| Medallion (for replacement only) | $400 |
| Plaque 12" x 16" (for replacement only) | $600 |
| Medallion and Plaque 12" x 16" (with or without post) | $1000 |
| Small Interpretive Marker 18" x 28" (with or without post) | $1550 |
| Large Interpretive Marker 27" x 42" (without post) | $2000 |
| Large Interpretive Marker 27" x 42" (with post) | $2500 |
Other Markers
Unlike the marker applications described above, applications for other historical designations and markers are processed only at the State level by the THC. The Antiquities Code of Texas, which provides for the designation of both architectural and archeological properties as State Archeological Landmarks, is the strongest protective legislation for cultural resources in the state. Texas landowners may receive special recognition with a Historic Texas Lands Plaque. The National Register of Historic Places is a federal program administered in Texas by the THC which provides national recognition of a property's historical or architectural significance and denotes that it is worthy of preservation. Nominations and listings of diverse properties in Texas are consistently upheld as models for other states.
