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; it includes both subject markers, which are solely educational in nature, and Recorded Texas Historic Landmark markers, which convey a legal designation for historic structures and buildings.

The historical 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. Marker applications are accepted by the THC only once a year (September 1 - November 15). It is important to begin preparation of your application well ahead of the official THC application period and obtain BCHC approval. If you are interested in submitting a sponsorship application for an historical marker, review all the relevant information on this page, and then contact the BCHC Marker Committee chair Jo Nell Meyer (Jo Nell Meyer; P.O. Box 318 Valley Mills TX 76689; 254-749-3025; 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
   Cemeteries
   Churches
   Communities
   Events
   Historic Individuals
   Houses and Buildings
   Institutions
   World War II

Unlike the marker applications described above, applications for historical designations 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. The Historic Texas Cemetery designation is a popular method for recognizing the importance of isolated family graveyards and other historic burial grounds. 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.