Our Mission & History
For nearly fifty years, neighbors have come together to protect the buildings that tell Tyler's story.
To promote the preservation of Tyler's historic buildings, structures, and sites through education, advocacy, community involvement, and strategic investment.
Half a century of saved places
Historic Tyler, Inc. is a small 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has worked since 1977 to preserve and rehabilitate the architectural and cultural resources of Tyler, Texas. We believe a city's old buildings are not obstacles to its future — they are the proof of its character.
From a handful of founding members, the organization has grown into the city's leading preservation advocate: nominating National Register districts, securing historical markers, funding restoration grants, and holding a permanent seat in the conversation whenever a Tyler landmark is at risk.
Our largest annual fundraiser, Historic Tyler on Tour, began in 1981 and takes place each spring during the city's Azalea Trails. Proceeds from this ticketed public event fund our operations and preservation initiatives the year round.
The double-pen house at 740 S. Fannin Street — a circa-1870s wood-frame home with two front doors opening to separate rooms. It was demolished in September 2023.
When a building falls, a chapter closes
The home pictured above stood on South Fannin Street for roughly 150 years. A double-pen, wood-frame house, it was a post-railroad adaptation of traditional log-home construction — its two front doors a quiet record of how East Texas families once built and lived. In September 2023 it was demolished.
Stories like this are why Historic Tyler exists. A historic listing is an honor, but it is not a shield: buildings still fall to neglect, to redevelopment, to the simple fact that no one spoke for them in time. Our work is to make sure someone always does — through documentation that outlives the building itself, advocacy that slows the wrecking ball, and investment that gives owners a reason to restore rather than replace.
Five decades, one mission
Historic Tyler, Inc. is founded
A group of Tyler residents organizes to advocate for the city's threatened historic architecture.
The first Historic Tyler on Tour
Our signature fundraiser begins, inviting the public inside preserved homes each spring during the Azalea Trails.
Charnwood — Tyler's first National Register district
The Charnwood Residential Historic District is listed, the first of eight National Register districts to follow.
A wave of districts listed
East Ferguson, Short-Line, Donnybrook, Azalea, and Brick Streets join the National Register in quick succession.
Tyler's first local overlay districts
Heritage Neighborhoods No. 1 and No. 2 give parts of Tyler binding local protection against demolition.
An Invitation to Preservation is published
A 293-page photographic record of more than 80 of Tyler's historic buildings.
The Pollard Residential Historic District
A decade-long effort succeeds: nearly 600 acres and 1,224 buildings are listed on the National Register.
Historic Tyler celebrates 50 years
A golden anniversary — and an invitation to the next generation of preservationists.
Preservation needs people
Members fund the advocacy, the markers, the grants, and the nominations. There is room for you in the work.