New Executive Director!

Issue 19...........February 2021

The Lake Jackson Historical Association provides Education relative to the

History and Culture of Lake Jackson, Texas.

The History Museum and Plantation Site

continue to mix the OLD with the NEW

ALDEN DOW OFFICE .........................UPDATE

Exterior lights on loggia are now functioning.

Early triangular window, one of Alden Dow’s signature design features, is rediscovered.

Light fixtures in Alden Dow’s office receive original

paint color.

New micro-topping covers surface cracks.

Tile is set in ADA compliant bathroom.

NEW...LOOK WHAT'S COMING DOWN THE TRACK.

Train Exhibit....................................March 8

Dairy Bar Celebration..............................April 9

Shakespeare Exhibit...........................April 19

OLD ITEM..........Curious Collection

As part of Lake Jackson’s 20th year anniversary celebration in 1963, architect Alden B. Dow paid a visit to the town he designed. Dismayed by the condition of various buildings in the downtown area, he chastised city officials and merchants for their failure to maintain the city.

As a result, Lake Jackson formed a Central Business District Committee headed by local banker Jack Waltrip. The committee decided to carry out a plantation theme to complement its modernization and restoration efforts.

The first buildings, collectively called “Carriage Square,” to receive a facelift included Dow’s former office and the complex of spaces that adjoined it. Signage containing names of businesses which would eventually occupy those spaces was placed directly in front of his architectural office. A black metal horse and carriage logo topped that signage. Decorative gas lanterns were added to building overhangs.

The makeover was featured in a 1966 issue of Southern Living magazine. According to the article, business owners were responsible for remodeling their own exteriors at an average cost of about $1,000 per 50 front feet.

Castleberry Insurance donated the black metal horse and carriage logo to the Historical Museum in 2013. Today, “Carriage Square” not only refers to these early buildings but also to a parking area, a Mid-century Modern sculpture, and a recently constructed pavilion.

Attention all “wanna be” archaeologists. Nearby Varner-Hogg Plantation (VHP) invites you to participate in various aspects of its excavation projects. In partnership with Rice University, this state historic site is launching a series of videos this week which explore its archaeological process. Become informed. Consider getting involved. Access the videos at youtube.com/riceuniversity.

Buy A Brick

Members of Lake Jackson Troop 325 watch as new bricks are placed on the Jackson Plantation Historic Site pathway. One addition honors Julian Moreno who achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in June, 2020. The other commemorates the life of Jayar Fausto and his work with the scouts.

Pave the walkway to the museum or the Jackson Plantation Historic Site with a personalized brick. Order a Brick here.

Meet the new Executive Director

Hello! My name is Lindsay Scovil, and I am so excited to be the new executive director of the Lake Jackson Historical Association.

I received my Master’s degree in Public History in 2015 from the University of Houston, but my passion for history started much earlier. Some of my favorite memories growing up include visits to museums and battlefields during family summer vacations. My dad and I would read every plaque and listen to every word from the tour guide, often while the rest of the family groaned about another stop at a historic site. As an adult, I became our family’s unofficial historian, tasked with getting to the bottom of family rumors that claimed an ancestor on the Mayflower (that’s true) and Quaker roots (that’s not).

Digging into my family’s history ultimately changed the direction of my thesis in graduate school. After discovering that I had a 5x great-uncle whose body was stolen from his grave and dissected by medical students, I decided to explore this macabre part of the past. My resulting thesis, “A Market for Death: The Use and Abuse of Cadavers in Nineteenth-Century America,” has been an interesting topic of conversation with fellow history lovers.

During graduate school, I was honored to be the associate editor of the Houston History magazine, a phenomenal publication that celebrates the history of the greater-Houston area. Following graduation, I became the editor of the Handbook of Houston, a partnership between the Houston History Alliance and the Texas State Historical Association and the first city-centric spinoff of the Handbook of Texas. After leading a team of talented writers and adding over 300 new historical entries into the Handbook, I was delighted to take the reins of the Houston History Alliance as executive director.

Becoming the executive director of the Lake Jackson Historical Association is truly a dream come true. I am honored to join the efforts of the current board, staff, and volunteers to continue bringing the area’s wonderful history to life, and I am grateful to past executive director David Thomas for the phenomenal trajectory on which he helped place LJHA.

I am in the process of relocating to Lake Jackson from Houston with my partner Brandt and our pets: our dogs, Maisie and Sophie, and our cats, Parker and Goose. When I am not working, you can usually find me cooking, reading (I am currently reading Metropolis: A History of the City, Humankind’s Greatest Invention) or catching up on the latest season of Finding Your Roots on PBS.

I can’t wait to meet each and every one of you! Please drop me a line to say hello at director@ljhistory.org.