Project Highlights

Fundraising Success
    George W. Bush Childhood Home, Inc., the nonprofit entity that owns and will manage the Bush Childhood Home, passed the $1,000,000 mark in fundraising in June! This milestone is an exciting accomplishment for the organization and for the preservation of the Home. The goal is to raise $6,000,000 over the next three years to reach the Project goal of $7,000,000.

Master Plan/Historic Structure Report Completed
    A comprehensive Historic Structure Report for the preservation of the Bush Childhood Home was completed in July and delivered to the Texas Historical Commission. This detailed document addresses the potential preservation and goals of the Project as well as the history of the Home and the Bush Family. The Master Plan/Historic Structure Report was partially funded by the Texas Historical Commission and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Site Plan
    TBG Partners, a Texas-based landscape architecture firm, worked with Herndon, Stauch & Associates and Rhotenberry Wellen Architects to develop the comprehensive Site Plan for the Project. The plan incorporates the two adjacent neighborhood homes owned by George W. Bush Childhood Home, Inc., as well as the proposed parking area at the end of the block. Most significant to the Bush Childhood Home itself, it includes replicating the Bush yard as it was between 1951 and 1956. Phase I of the Project will include the parts of the Site Plan immediately around the Home.

Street Closure
    The City of Midland has tentatively agreed to close one half of the side street by the Bush Childhood Home so that the street can be used for visitor crosswalks, for events, and for interpretation. The street that will be closed has already been closed across Ohio Avenue to accommodate expansion of The Episcopal Church of the Holy Trinity so traffic patterns will not be disrupted by the closure. The Project Team eventually hopes to find a 1950s car like the one owned by George and Barbara Bush.

Preservation Investigations
    If you drive by the Bush Childhood Home today, you will see that the aluminum siding has been removed to examine the original wood siding for restoration. This is just one of several initial steps to identify the existence and condition of original materials from the Bush period of 1952 to 1956. We were pleased to find that the original wood siding is still in good condition.

Asbestos Challenge
    For such a small property, the George W. Bush Childhood Home has more than its fair share of asbestos. Unfortunately, all of the sheetrock walls and ceilings were taped and heavily textured with asbestos-containing materials at some time after the Bush occupancy. These sheetrock walls in the majority of the Home must be removed and replaced to achieve the look of the Bush Period and, more importantly, to remove any asbestos risk as future curators use the Home for exhibits and displays. Abatement will be completed by mid-September 2003.

How Challenging is This Restoration?
    It is quite a challenge! The Bush Childhood Home has the majority of its original architectural details intact, so a true restoration is possible. However, every detail presents a challenge in this small house. From the foundation to the roof, every aspect of the house requires attention after years of alterations and the impact of natural deterioration. You name it and we’ve got it – hazardous materials, water damage, floor patching, a bathroom addition, heavy paint on the interior natural pine paneling, roof structure issues, and a long list of restoration and preservation details that must be faithfully addressed to recreate the 1950s era. This small house will be lovingly brought back to its earlier life as a home to a great American family.

A 1950s Restoration
    The George W. Bush Childhood Home will be one of the Nation’s first 1950s residential restorations. The Department of Interior’s 50-year standard for initial consideration for the National Registers means that few buildings from 1953 or later have been considered. A few museums and exhibits have addressed the 1950s, examples being the Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont, and the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum’s Davy Crockett Exhibit last year. However, this may be the first true 1950s historic home restoration and is certainly the first Presidential Home from the 1950s. The period is fun to interpret and tells us a great deal about the influential childhood years of a generation.

We Need Your Donations
    Every dollar we receive means we can implement more of the Master Plan and Historic Structure Report and do a better job of interpreting this special family. Phase I has begun, and we would like to expand the Home Restoration to include more furnishings and exhibits. We encourage you to give today.

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