Roma National Historic Landmark District Visitorsâ Center and Plaza, Roma, TX
Award Type: Honor Award
This year’s winner of the special Board of Advisor’s Award is an imaginative effort that celebrates the historic character of a small-town public space while bringing new life to an important local landmark. The result is a subtle – but thoroughly engaging – preservation triumph.
On the banks of the Rio Grande, an innovative project has infused a new spirit in the heart of a remote Texas border town. The town's two-block long plaza, historically the center of community life in Roma, underwent a historically inaccurate remodeling in 1976. With the help of a private foundation and state and federal agencies, the plaza has been brought back and is once again a dynamic gathering place for citizens and visitors.
The project was realized through a creative partnership between multiple public agencies and private groups. The City of Roma, Meadows Foundation, Texas Department of Transportation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services successfully raised funds to restore key National Historic Landmark buildings and the Plaza, transforming Roma into a nexus for heritage tourism.
Click here to read the full press release.
