“The Way Things Were: Texas Settlers and Their Buildings, 1860s–1930s,” an exhibition by Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. “The Way Things Were” focused on the family and community life of Texas settlers as reflected in historic buildings. The exhibition looked at early Texas buildings for information about settlers’ visions of community and progress and their accommodation to the physical demands and economic realities of everyday life. Print resources that accompany the exhibit helped audiences explore our cultural heritage, modern attitudes toward the past and our duty to future generations. Of local interest, the exhibit included photographs of the exteriors of the Vereins Kirche and both the Marienkirche and St. Mary’s Catholic Church shown with other St. Mary’s Catholic Churches across the state. A Gillespie County root cellar, log cabin, and stone barn photos were exhibited. The photographer for these photos was Tom Prather of Austin. The historical society also exhibited a model home from the 1950s era donated by Gerrie Stein and her late husband, J. D. The model was created by a vendor for Stein Lumber Company who built the model when Stein and the late Ty Cox cut an original design as a sample of a wood siding they wanted to use, and the vendor was able to create the wood siding for Stein’s home and others in this area.

Humanities Texas develops and supports diverse programs across the state, including lectures, oral history projects, teacher institutes, traveling exhibitions, and documentary films. For more information, please visit Humanities Texas online at http://www.humanitiestexas.org
or call 512-440-1991.