Friends of Landmark Inn Honored at Real Places 2025

The Friends of the Texas Historical Commission and the Texas Historical Commission (THC) recognized a friends’ group that supports the Landmark Inn State Historic Site with the seventh annual Friends Alliance Award. The award, which was presented at the 2025 Real Places Conference,  honors a supporting nonprofit or volunteer for their exemplary work in the stewardship of a THC state historic sites.

The Friends of Landmark Inn were recognized for their work restoring the façade of the Vance Hotel building at Landmark Inn State Historic Site in Castroville.

As early as 2016, the Friends of Landmark Inn began to strategize over ways to raise funds to put historically accurate shutters on the Vance Hotel building. They knew it would be pricey for the preferred type of wood recommended by the THC’s Architecture Division.

Undaunted, they began having quarterly fundraising events called History Happy Hour. Four times a year they hosted speakers from across the state who would entertain audiences on topics such as the modern and historical Texas Rangers, Buffalo Soldiers, genealogical research, and local history. They brought in several Texas authors to speak at events at the site.

The group also held raffles that brought in a considerable amount. It seems weekend getaways are popular! In 2021, the Castroville Conservation Society awarded the Friends of Landmark Inn a $5000 grant to assist with the shutters. Finally, their heartfelt endeavors matched and even surpassed the proposed cost.

In 2022, a local cabinet maker was enlisted to fabricate the shutters, and site maintenance staff primed, painted, and hung them. The project was completed April of 2024.

The Friends of the Texas Historical Commission is honored to recognize the Friends of Landmark Inn as stewards of the history of Landmark Inn and of Texas. Site Manager Georgia Davis and the site staff are incredibly grateful for this gift to Landmark Inn and to the community.

The Friends of Landmark Inn was represented at the award ceremony on April 23rd by Doug and Marci DeMino, who through their leadership and tireless efforts to raise the philanthropic support, literally a dollar at a time, helped restore the façade of the Historic Vance Hotel building at Landmark Inn.

The nomination period for the 2026 Friends Alliance Awards will begin in July and will be announced on the Friends of the THC’s website, thcfriends.org.

For more information about the Friends of the THC, contact Executive Director Anjali Kaul Zutshi at 512-936-2241. For more information about the Historic Sites Community Engagement Program, contact Coordinator Angela Reed at 737-349-2762.