The Red Top Jail Museum, Interpretive Resource Plan

Toxey/McMillan Design Associates LLC; Zoch, Sheri

From introduction: "The Interpretive Resource Plan for the Llano Red Top Jail Museum results from a need within the community to begin planning for a museum in this historic structure. The Llano Red Top Jail is on the National and State Registers of historic places. It was created during the “wild west” boomtown days of Llano’s history and has many stories within its walls, some of which have been documented in an Oral History Compilation in Appendix G. Interest in developing a museum results from efforts of the Friends of the Llano Red Top Jail, Llano Main Street and the City of Llano to conserve this building—named by Preservation Texas as one of "Texas's Most Endangered Places" on February 4, 2010. Thanks in part to the National Park Service Preserve America grant, the Llano Red Top Jail Museum may be developed as a paradigm for other rural historical tourist destinations. The goal of this project is to transform the old county Llano Red Top Jail into a jail museum that interprets Llano’s history as a western frontier town at the turn of the 20th century and that situates this history within the context of the frontier movement in the U.S. The Llano Red Top Jail project will result in: 1) the conservation of this monument, 2) its transformation from a maintenance concern into a revenue-generating asset for the city, and 3) the development of exhibits that engender public understanding, appreciation, and stewardship of this cultural legacy. By creating public awareness of this significant building and by providing plans to transform the historic structure into a state-of-the-art museum with experiential, interactive, and interpretive exhibits, this project endeavors to conserve both the structure and its colorful history for future generations to enjoy and protect." Funding for this item was provided in part through a 2010 Preserve America grant to the City of Llano (grant number 48-10-AP-5050) for the Llano County Red Top Jail Museum Planning project. The grant was administered by the State, Tribal, and Local Plans and Grants Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Preserve America is a federal initiative that encourages and supports community efforts to preserve and enjoy our priceless cultural and natural heritage. The goals of the program include a greater shared knowledge about the nation's past, strengthened regional identities and local pride, increased local participation in preserving the country's cultural and natural heritage assets, and support for the economic vitality of our communities.

The Red Top Jail Museum, Interpretive Resource Plan

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