Developing a Model of Historic Rehabilitation:

GSF gained experience in use of fundamental non-electric construction skills building the remote montane field station Rancho del Cielo in northeastern Mexico.  These  obsolete, primitive skills also included those skills that are useful in the restoration of historic buildings.

In 1990, GSF entered into a 50 year lease with the US Department of Interior to restore a 19^th century Grist Mill and other historic buildings listed on the National Register of Historic places in the Historic District of the Buffalo National River, Arkansas.  Thus GSF began to gather expertise in Historic Rehabilitation.

Using this expertise, in 1995 GSF purchased and began the historic rehabilitation of the 1877-1890 Alonso complex at the corner of St. Charles and Sixth Street.  This important historic landmark served as GSF headquarters for 15 years.  It was used as a community special events center and cultural arts exhibit venue.   The Alonso Building’s resurrection and adaptive reuse served as an important lynch pin on which the fate of a declining neighborhood has turned for the better.  Expertise in Historic Rehabilitation is now given freely to the community of Brownsville, nonprofits organizations and the University of Texas at Brownsville.

The Alonso Building restoration earned a Texas Historical Medallion and it resulted in the development of a model of cost effective restoration that also preserve historic buildings.  This became especially important in a community that has the second highest number of historic buildings and the least financial resources to restore them.  With the success of the Alonso Building, The University of Texas at Brownsville asked GSF to work with building trades students to develop a restoration program.

Restoration Projects:

1990 – 2010 - Buffalo National River – Arkansas (US Dept of Interior)

• Robert Villines Homestead c. 1867
  National Register of Historic Places – Category 1

• Clyde and Nellie Villines Homestead c. 1930
  National Register of Historic Place – Category 2

• Boxley Grist Mill c. 1877
  National Register of Historic Places – Category 1

1996 – 2012 – Cameron County – Texas

• 1996 – Alonso Complex c. 1877 – 1990
  Brownsville Local Historic Site, Texas Historic Site

• 2000 – Young House c. 1912 (UTB/TSC)
  Brownsville Local Historic Site

• 2002 – Andres Cueto Building c. 1893  (UTB/TSC)
  Primary Local Site, State of Texas Site, National Register of Historic Places

• 2003 – Luscena House c. 1870 (UTB/TSC)
  Primary Local Site

• 2006 – Brownsville Compress 1890-1948 (UTB/TSC)
  Primary Local Site

• 2006 – 2008 – Richard Nuetra – Kragher House c. 1937 (City of Brownsville, UTB/TSC)
  Primary Local Site, National Trust top Ten Buildings Endangered B. in the USA

• 2006 – Sisters of Mercy Chapel c.1936

• 2008 - Our Lady of Visitation Church – Santa Maria, Cameron County c. 1890
  National Register

• 2007 – 2009 – Commander’s House – Fort Brown c. 1867-1912 (UTB/TSC)

• 2010 – Cavaly c.1900 (UTB/TSC)
  National Register of Historic Places

• 2011 – 2012 – Rabb Plantation House

Restoration Awards:

• 1997 – Ladrillo Award – Caminos del Rio (Outstanding Preservation Work)

• 1999 – Merit Award – Preservation Texas (Developing a student project for Historic Rehabilitation and Community Service)

• 2007 – Moody-Northern Award – Texas Historical Foundation (Outstanding work in the field of Historic Rehabilitation in the State of Texas).

• 2008 – Special Recognition – Texas Historical Commission

• 2010 – Texas Society of Architects – Citation of Honor Award