Austin, TX - The Texas Historical Commission (THC) recognized the Mission San José Rehabilitation project as the 2025 recipient of the Texas Historical Commission Award of Excellence in Historic Architecture.
The award acknowledges an architect or architectural firm for exemplary work that made a significant contribution to the preservation of Texas’ architectural heritage. It is one of 10 annual THC Preservation Awards, recognizing individuals and organizations involved in various aspects of historic preservation.
The Mission San José Rehabilitation project encompasses both a recently completed roof reconstruction, finished in October 2023, and a broader series of ongoing preservation efforts at the site. Previous phases of work have included major restoration activities such as the full conservation and repair of the sculptural facade. These projects reflect the long‑standing collaboration between the Archdiocese of San Antonio and preservation architects at Ford, Powell & Carson, as well as the continued stewardship of all four southern San Antonio Missions.
The collective restoration work at Mission San José represents a long‑term, multifaceted preservation effort incorporating material conservation, structural rehabilitation, and a comprehensive approach to the ongoing care of one of Texas’ most significant historic properties.
Along with the Alamo and Missions Concepción, San Juan, and Espada, Mission San José forms part of the San Antonio Missions World Heritage Site—the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Texas and the most complete group of Spanish Colonial mission complexes in the United States. The four mission churches other than the Alamo remain active parish communities while also comprising San Antonio Missions National Historical Park.
Mission San José is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is designated as both a State Antiquities Landmark and a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. The site has received multiple Texas Preservation Trust Fund grants from the THC, including two architectural grants and one supporting archeological curation, and has participated in the THC’s Texas Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program.
About Preservation Awards
The THC Preservation Awards recognize and honor those who have committed themselves to saving the real places and real stories of Texas. The awards celebrate their accomplishments and exemplary leadership in the preservation of Texas’ heritage.
The awards will be presented at the THC’s Real Places 2026 conference, April 8-10, in Austin and online. Presented by the Friends of the Texas Historical Commission in partnership with Phoenix 1 Restoration and Construction, LLC, Real Places is the premier historic preservation and heritage tourism event in the Lone Star State. It offers world-class sessions, workshops, tours, special events, entertainment, and networking activities, while bringing together many different audiences under the banners of history, heritage, and preservation.
About the Texas Historical Commission
The THC manages 42 state historic sites, the Texas Heritage Trails Program, Texas Main Street Program, and many more heritage tourism and historic preservation initiatives across the state. For more information, visit thc.texas.gov.