Luling Main Street

The month of May is National Preservation Month and a proclamation was presented to members of Luling Main Street by Mayor Mike Hendricks, declaring See! Save! Celebrate! as the theme for promoting Historic Preservation in our community this year. Observance of National Preservation Month is co-sponsored by the City of Luling and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Luling Main Street, a non-profit group that is active in beautifying our downtown district is planning to roll out its Incentive Grant Program this month in conjunction with the observance of National Preservation Month. Luling Main Street’s new Façade Grant Program seeks to improve the image of downtown Luling and its Main Street District by stimulating Historic Preservation through the assistance of funds to help encourage restoration of its storefront facades located within the designated Main Street District. Types of projects that would qualify for the grant include: Removing slip covers, removing false fronts or non-historic/added facades, paint removal from brick, replacing or restoring cornices and transom windows, replacing or restoring awnings or canopies, repair or replacement of signage, and facade repainting.

The Façade Grant Program being offered by Luling Main Street will be a 50/50 matching grant that ranges from $500 up to $4000 based on the type of work being done and will continue until funds are exhausted. Although complete restorations are encouraged, simple facelifts like repainting or signage upgrades are also welcomed and may also qualify for matching funds. Another valuable resource that can be accessed through the Main Street Program is the offering of free architectural renderings and engineering support from the Architectural Design Staff at the Texas Historical Commission.

Historic Preservation has proven to be a powerful economic development tool and its principles have helped spur downtown revitalization all across the country. When older building facades are restored back to their original look it creates a sense of community stability and character. Derek Hall, Main Street Manager says, “Back in the 1950’s and 1960’s, many older buildings were modernized because they were thought to be ugly and out of date, but here we are 50 years later and restored older buildings have become cool again.” “You see it and feel it in the big cities just as much as you see it in smaller towns like ours.” Experts say towns without distinctive characteristics will not be able to set itself apart from other towns, and a community’s unique heritage needs to be promoted in order to make its attractions a destination for tourists, and its businesses a destination for enterprise. Without these distinctions, a community won’t be any different from the one down the road.

Luling Main Street would also love to gather “Then and Now” photos of buildings in the Main Street District from anyone who would love to share. “Main Street would love to help educate the community about our historical roots and compile a larger database of photos of our downtown buildings from all time periods. We think it would be interesting to have a visual record of the many changes the district has gone through over the years and compare it to what you see today”, says Hall.

To get information on the Main Street Incentive Grant Program, apply for help from the THC Design Staff, or to share historic photographs, please contact Main Street Manager Derek Hall at 830-875-3214 ext. 3., or come by the Main Street office located in the Luling Oil Museum at 421 E. Davis St.

If you’ve been out and about the past week you’ve probably noticed the planters in the Downtown area have received a little “Spring Cleaning.”  Debbie Watts, LMS Board member, and volunteers pulled up their sleeves, dug out old flowers, and potted fresh Lantana.

The City of Luling has helped to keep the fresh plants watered as they take root so keep an eye out in the upcoming months as they are sure to flourish in shades of gold!

Luling Main Street kicked off a new “Business Luncheon Series” on Thursday, April 25th at The Coffee Shop with 17 business Owners and Employees attending.  The luncheon proved to be a great success as we strive to come together in an effort to reach a common goal in our community – teamwork.  The idea of having 17 people attend the first meeting, on less than one week’s notice, shows that we have the want and ability to bring the organizations and business owners together to turn Luling into a small town ”destination” for Central Texas.

Members of Main Street, with help from Economic Development, and the Chamber of Commerce will be working together to bring content that will directly impact our businesses as a complete community.  Be on the lookout as we push out pertinent information and resources to accomplish this goal and feel free to contact us anytime with ideas and thoughts that you may have.  Our next luncheon will take place on Thursday, May 16th.

- Shelly Moore
2013 Luling Main Street President

Luling Main Street Manager Derek Hall was in Llano January 29 through February 1, to attend Basic Main Street Training.  In attendance at the session were new managers, assistant managers and volunteers from 18 cities.  There are currently 84 designated Main Street programs in Texas, making it one of the largest state programs in the country.

“I met a lot of great people that have been doing this a long time, and everyone I talked to was genuinely excited to impart wisdom and was willing to share their experiences – good and bad,” Hall said.  “It seems we all have successes to brag about and issues that are yet resolved in our hometowns and although each of our communities may have a different makeup, it was interesting that a lot of the challenges that we encounter are the same.  It was extremely refreshing how many positive comments I received from so many people from around the state about our little town.”

Training was conducted by the professional staff of the Texas Main Street Program, which is under the Community Heritage Development Division of the Texas Historical Commission, the state agency for historic preservation.

Content of the training featured the basics of how to implement the 32-year-old “Four Point Approach (TM), which is used by local Main Street communities across the country.  The concentration was on the elements of structuring and maintaining an effective local Main Street program; and the basics of design and historic preservation and how to use it as a viable economic development tool, while developing a marketable image for the downtown effort.

Those new to the program attended two days of basic training prior to being joined by approximately 60 other managers from other designated Main Street communities in Texas.

Hall said that, “Relationships cultivated with the other Main Street Managers, the Texas Main Street staff, and the Architectural staff at the Texas Historical Commission will be invaluable resources going forward as the Luling Main Street Program tries to make our town a place we can proudly call home.”

“Local Main Street Manager attends training in Llano.” The Luling Newsboy & Signal [Luling, TX] 07 February 2013: Volume 133, No. 46

Whiskey Sin was formed for the love of music. With many years’ experience between the members of the band, it is definitely something you will not regret or forget. Whiskey Sin delivers an electric mix of Country and Southern Rock, as well as original music to covers that you can tap your foot to.

Whiskey Sin will take the stage Friday evening from 7:00 – 11:00 PM to provide entertainment as cooks arrive and setup for dessert entries.

Cher La-Bas -  Shah Lah Bah, phonetically; My Baby’s Over There, in English.

Cher La-Bas is a full-fledged, authentic, dance-style, Louisiana-inspired Cajun band from San Antonio, TX and plays for many Cajun Festivals and Events, and always ready for a good time! Playing a driving Cajun rhythm, with Chanky Chank Cajun accordion, fiddle, bass guitar, drum, rhythm guitar, rub-board, and Cajun French vocals while throwing in a little Old-Time Texas Country and 50’s- 60’s Swamp Pop keeps folks up and dancing and drinking for the entire evening.

Cher La-Bas will take the stage Saturday from 11:00 – 2:00 PM.

Dr. Zog – Born and raised in Port Arthur, Texas a musically cultural town on the border of Louisiana and Texas and a hotbed of good times zydeco music. Zog took his swampadelic style of music to Austin, Tx. in 1989 and began performing at the roadhouses and festivals of Central Texas. He has a deep fried understanding of roots music and plays music to funkify the good folks with fun, upbeat music with a positive message. Put on your alligator shoes and crawfish shuffle to our funky zydeco grooves.

Listening to the music of the Dr. Zog band is like traveling to Cajun country. Dr. Zog calls his music SWAMPADELIC MUSIC. This upbeat, positive music with a driving beat takes your taste buds and heart to Louisiana and Southeast, Texas where gumbo, crawfish, and beer abound.

Dr. Zog will take the stage Saturday from 3:00 – 7:00 PM.

Find out more about the event here.

During this year’s Cocoa and Carols, sponsored by Luling Main Street, the Kiwanis will host an added attraction.  Club members will provide their “earlier generation” tractors and wagons for hay rides that will take those downtown on a tour of the seasonal decorations.

Plans are to load the wagons around Suzanne’s Florist, in the 500 block of E. Davis. The hay rides will be free.

For more information contact Main Street Director Derek Hall, at 421 E. Davis, or call 875-3214.

“Hay Rides Set.” The Luling Newsboy & Signal [Luling, TX] 06 December 2012