Home News Laura Bush Announces Preserve America Grants Budget Preserve America Community: Castroville, Texas

With a population of less than 3,000 citizens, Castroville is a rural town 25 miles west of San Antonio on the Medina River. It was founded in 1844 by a group of immigrants recruited by French entrepreneur Henri Castro to settle a land grant he obtained from the Texas Republic.

Castroville's Alsatian Dancers contribute to their town's distinctive heritage during St. Louis Day, a celebration that has been held for more than 100 years. (Photo courtesy of the Castroville Chamber of Commerce)

Most of the settlers hailed from the Alsace-Lorraine region of France, and to this day Castroville is known as "the Little Alsace of Texas" because it preserves the distinctive architectural styles and cultural traditions of that region.

Castroville boasts nearly 100 historic structures in the village and a local population exceptionally involved in protecting and sharing its distinctive heritage. The citizens of Castroville recently spent more than two years developing a preservation plan to guide future use of their historic assets for economic development and community revitalization.

The community promotes heritage tourism through a visitors' guide and walking tour map, and has celebrated its heritage annually for more than 100 years through St. Louis Day festivities. Castroville has also developed creative educational programs for its youth, including plays that focus on local African American and Hispanic history.

Castroville is a Certified Local Government and was a model community in the Texas Historical Commission's Visionaries in Preservation Program.

For more information

Preserve America:
www.PreserveAmerica.gov
Summary of the Preserve America initiative

Castroville, Texas:
www.Castroville.com

An independent Federal agency, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) promotes historic preservation nationally by providing a forum for influencing Federal activities, programs, and policies that impact historic properties, advising the President and Congress, advocating preservation policy, improving Federal preservation programs, protecting historic properties, and educating stakeholders and the public. For more information, visit the ACHP's Web site at www.achp.gov, or contact Bruce Milhans at 202-606-8513 or bmilhans@achp.gov.

Learn more about ACHP

Posted January 15, 2004

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