Despite being met with opposition, renovation work is underway at the Alamo as the Texas General Land Office plans to restore and recapture the historical 1836 battle.
Karina Erickson, Communications Director with the GLO, said the project aims to elevate the Alamo to the level of the Gettysburg memorial in Pennsylvania.
The story of the Alamo is world-renowned and represents the core of Texas’ identity today. The Texas General Land Office, under Commissioner George P. Bush, was tasked with the management and maintenance of the Alamo in 2011.
The effort to preserve and restore the Alamo battlefield began in 2015, and has undergone intense debate and discussion, but state officials hope the project delves into a deeper part of the Alamo’s history and preserves it for centuries to come. Erickson said the office and archaeologists involved in the renovation project are prepared in case human remains are unearthed.
Early settlers and Native Americans who were buried in a Catholic cemetery on Alamo grounds when the Alamo was the Misión San Antonio de Valero. The Texas Historical Commission this year designated the Alamo a “Historic Texas Cemetery,” a largely symbolic title which deems it worthy of preservation.
However, a group of local indigenous peoples and the Alamo Defenders Descendants Association wanted the THC to designate the grounds as an “unverified cemetery.” The application for such a designation was ultimately denied.
To follow ongoing preservation work at the Alamo, visitSaveTheAlamo.com.
EDITOR'S NOTE: After TPR completed this interview and report, the San Antonio Express-News reported that the group American Indians in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions filed a legal notice with the Bexar County Clerk's Office declaring the Alamo grounds an abandoned or unknown cemetery. Opponents said such a designation could potentially delay the $450 million Alamo restoration project. The Express-News also reported the group plans to raise funds to file a federal lawsuit claiming discrimination has influenced how city, state and other officials have managed the project.
Norma Martinez can be reached at norma@tpr.org and on Twitter @NormDog1 and Lauren Terrazas can be reached at lauren@tpr.org and on Twitter @terrazas_lauren.
