Wednesday, September 18, 2024
The Hood County Historical and Genealogical Society is the guardian of records and artifacts related to Hood County history.
The Old Jail Museum and Yates-Duke Cabin display historical artifacts, while the Railroad Depot houses the original records, family stories and railroad memorabilia.
Recently, the society found itself at odds with the City of Granbury regarding parking lot usage.
The city recently emailed museum volunteer Karen Nace a 30-day lease termination notice, bringing this long-standing tension to the forefront. Both parties have concerns about parking access, historical preservation and community needs.
THE SOCIETY’S PERSPECTIVE
For more than 41 years, the Depot Committee has leased and maintained the railroad depot property, including sharing parking spaces with local businesses like the GOAT distillery.
Alan Lash, president of the Genealogical and Historical Society, expressed concerns about the city’s intentions. “The city wants to take over the entire parking lot and use it for public parking,” Lash said, reiterating, “For 40 years, that parking lot’s been open, and anybody that wanted to park there could. And nobody did because it’s a half-mile from the square.”
Nace explained the museum’s problems began when a new nearby business, The Pub McDonough, was being constructed. Workers started using the depot’s parking lot without permission, causing disruptions for the society and leaving trash.
While the museum has occasionally allowed its parking lot to be used for events unrelated to the depot, Nace noted the increased demand sometimes led to overcrowding. “There was no space left for museum visitors and volunteers.”
It has been reported to the Hood County News that the Railroad Depot had a little over 500 visitors last year.
The society permits visitors to enter the depot parking lot through one entrance, while the other two entrances are blocked off with a chain.
Nace and the society are concerned about the city’s intentions regarding the lease changes. The society relies heavily on donations to continue its research, education and preservation work and pay the depot bills.
The society is concerned about the additional burden of legal expenses for reviewing the reworked lease from the city and questions who will cover those costs.
The depot houses original courthouse records from the 1870s to the 1970s that were being discarded by the county. It also maintains an extensive collection of historical documents, artifacts, maps and family records donated by local families.
“The depot incorporated records from the library which were being removed from public availability,” Nace said, adding, “We maintain a website of indexes and other old Hood County information.”
The 1983 Sublease Agreement indicates that the City of Granbury leases the Passenger Depot property, which includes the parking lots (over 20,000 square feet), to the Hood County Genealogical and Historical Society.
In response to lease problems, the society has asked the railroad, which owns the property, for help. Nace explained that past incidents, such as a previous mayor’s attempt to take over the building, illustrate ongoing conflicts over property rights and usage.
THE CITY’S STANCE
According to Jeff Newpher, Communications Manager for the City of Granbury, the society operates during posted hours of 1-4 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
While it has occasionally utilized a few parking spaces at the depot to support its activities, the society currently restricts public access to the approximately 40 parking spaces adjacent to the Railroad Depot, even when closed.
“The current lease expires Aug. 21, 2024. The city and the society are currently in discussions for a new lease,” Newpher explained. This new agreement aims to address the society’s needs while also allowing residents and visitors access to the unused parking spaces.
HISTORICAL SOCIETY’S CONCERNS
Lash mentioned that despite offering the west parking lot for city use multiple times, the assistant city manager, Michael Ross, dismissed the suggestion of compromise each time.
“Let’s try this as an experiment,” Lash suggested. “We’ll let you (the city) have use of the western parking lot there, the one that’s closest to the street, and see how that goes.”
In response to Lash’s statement that Ross dismissed the society’s suggestions, Newpher said, “This agreement will be publicly considered and approved by the Granbury City Council. The city feels the process will be slowed down if it responds publicly to statements made during discussions.”
The society is deeply concerned about the potential impact on its operations. “We’re the protectors of history. We operate the depot, maintain the displays and bring people in to learn about everything,” Lash emphasized
HCN contacted Pub McDonough for comment, but they declined to respond.
