The Chisholm Trail Heritage Museum soon will renovate the exteriors of the historic Trautwein and Cook & Day Motor Co. buildings in downtown Cuero, an important step as the museum works to expand its space into the two adjacent structures, thanks to a $50,000 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and the City of Cuero.
The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with a matching contribution of $422,000 from the museum, will pay to renovate the facades of the two buildings, add a new canopy and lighting, and create a new landscape feature.
Robert Oliver, museum board chair, said the work will help the museum expand its cultural and educational offerings for South Central Texas and continue its legacy of historic preservation. When the expansion project is complete, the renovated space will provide 14,000 square feet of exhibit and community space.
The work is part of a larger project to renovate the museum area and develop new exhibit space that will broaden the museum’s cultural outreach and programming, including adding three new exhibit galler- ies: Paying Tribute to Native American Plains Indians, Expressions in Western Art and the Texas Room.
“These new exhibits will be a resource for school districts throughout South Central Texas, allowing students to experience high-caliber educational material at a local level without needing to travel to larger cities,” Oliver said. “In the last two years alone, our museum's two educators provided on-site tours and educational programs to more than 3,000 young people, and now we will have the ability to expand our content and capacity for offering youth education.”
LCRA General Manager Phil Wilson said the new exhibit space will benefit both area school students and lifelong learners.
“The mission of the Chisholm Trail Heritage Museum is to preserve the rich ranching and Western heritage of this area,” Wilson said. “It’s important to honor and learn about those who came before us and made such a huge impact on the region.”
Wilson said the museum plays a key role in the region by providing historical exhibits and attracting visitors who often patronize other businesses in the area.
“The museum beautifully memorializes the history of the Guadalupe River Valley, and LCRA is honored to play a role in supporting its expansion,” Wilson said.
Oliver said restoring the two buildings also will help in the museum’s efforts to revitalize Cuero’s historic district. The Trautwein building was built about 1894 and the Cook & Day Motor Co. was built about 1921. Both were given to the museum in 2020.
