Museum and Visitor Center of Bastrop County Historical Society

BASTROP COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE

Mission: To preserve and promote the history of Bastrop County.

History: Bastrop County Historical Society (BCHS) and its museum were established in 1952. Since then, BCHS has amassed a unique collection of materials, documents and artifacts dating from before the County’s founding in 1836.

Collections: The Society has a collection of approximately 5,000 artifacts and books and about 14,000 documents, photographs, and exhibits – in most cases, contributed by members of the community. Collectively, they tell the story of Bastrop County and the significance of its founders’ and settlers’ contributions to the State of Texas. Collections are preserved and exhibited; the rest is stored. Archives are available for research in our new research library.

Programs: Approximately 5,000 individuals visit or attend BCHS programs each year. Adult education programs include a popular Historical Speakers’ Series, featuring authors and subject matter experts edifying audiences on local and state history. The museum also presents a themed temporary exhibit each year. Recent temporary exhibits include, “Herndon Arrowhead Exhibit” and “The Quilt Exhibit”

Audience: Museum visitors come both from inside and outside Bastrop County, and include a diverse group of all ages. Bastrop County’s most recent U.S. Census Bureau estimate is over 74,000, a 29.7% increase over 2000. State of Texas population in 2010 was approaching twenty-five million people. Further, Bastrop is only 30 miles from the Austin, the capital of Texas and within the economic triangle of Central Texas (Austin, Houston and San Antonio). Approximately 9,000 visitors register at the visitor center, now part of the museum, each year.

Governance: BCHS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational corporation chartered by the State of Texas in 1964. Membership is open to anyone willing to pay modest annual dues of $20. BCHS members annually elect the volunteer Board of Trustees. BCHS has an advisory board which assists with project activities and evaluations.

Facilities: The previous BCHS museum was an 1850’s frame cabin donated to BCHS in 1952, and with several additions, it totaled about 3,500 sq. ft. The new Museum and Visitor Center opened in January 2013, located at 904 Main, in the highly visited historic district of downtown Bastrop, Texas, offers more than 8,500 sq. ft. – 5,000 sq. ft. devoted to exhibits.

Our exhibit project is comprised of three phases: Phase 1) Exhibit Master Plan including historical research, detailed floor plans, exhibit renderings and design; Phase 2) Exhibit fabrication and engineering; and Phase 3) Exhibit/technology installation and testing. We are currently in the process of installing exhibits in our main gallery.

Staff: The museum’s professional staff consists of three part-time employees and one full-time employee. The director of the Bastrop Visitor Center, operating under the auspices of BCHS, is the only full-time employee. Volunteers supplement the staff during vacations and other absences.

Affiliations: BCHS is a member of the Texas Association of Museums.