Texas Historical Commission approves Alamo conservation steps, archaeological excavations and arcade removal

The Texas Historical Commission on Jan. 31 authorized immediate archaeological and conservation steps for the Alamo site in San Antonio, approving both an antiquities permit to remove the first bay of the 1936 arcade adjacent to the church and a data‑recovery permit to allow excavations needed for a temporary protective enclosure and the site's drainage work.

The commission voted to authorize issuance of historic buildings and structures permit no. 1317 to remove the arcade bay "to allow for foundation archaeology and construction work necessary to install that temporary protective enclosure," Elizabeth Brehmitt, director of the THC Division of Architecture, told the commission. The commission also approved an antiquities‑code data recovery permit that staff said will be carried out in phased, hand‑excavated units to test for intact deposits and to clear locations where structural piers or drainage elements will be placed.

Why this matters: The Alamo church and the long barrack are the site's most significant architectural artifacts; THC staff and its design partners told the commission the work is intended to stop ongoing water infiltration, stabilize masonry, and permit conservation of the church vault and long barrack fabric. The temporary enclosure and drainage work are intended to limit further deterioration while teams design long‑term conservation measures and a new vaulted roofing assembly for the church.

Architects and conservators summarized field findings and short‑term steps. Mark Navarro of Fisher Heck described how the long barrack's historic condition and later interventions have produced chronic drainage problems: low roof slope, undersized scuppers and ponding that funnels water against the walls. He said crews installed concrete buttress blocks in excavation units to stabilize walls as archaeologists removed saturated soils, and that the team exposed historic foundations to roughly 5 to 5.5 feet below grade to guide repointing and final drainage design.

"We have done repointing in these open units to kinda help us save time and learn what we can from that repointing process," Navarro said as crews documented the original masonry that remains beneath later repairs.

On the church roof, Lisa (Fisher Heck) told commissioners the existing reinforced‑concrete roof installed in 1920 has reached the end of its service life and is tightly integrated with the masonry bond beam and vaults. The design now proposed would replace that assembly with a composite masonry (reinforced) vaulted roof and a separate suspended acoustic plaster ceiling, creating an interstitial conditioned space to allow environmental control and to remove visible mechanical and conduit runs from visitors' sightlines.

"The main benefit of the design approach ... is that we capture this interstitial space," Lisa said. "That is critical for the ongoing preservation and long term conservation of the artifact."

Archaeology: Tiffany (Alamo archaeologist) reported that earlier excavations have identified battle‑era deposits in some areas and evidence of trenching by defenders in other places. For the data‑recovery permit, THC staff said phase‑one excavations will test and clear locations for helical piers for the temporary enclosure; phase two will address broader drainage trenches around the church and long barrack. Staff emphasized the work will be hand‑excavated in discrete units, similar to prior long barrack work, with most test excavations reaching a hard pan at about 5 feet and then stopping because material below that is considered pre‑cultural.

"For the excavations, our maximum depth is about 5 feet, and that's where we hit our ... hard pan," the Alamo archaeologist said. "Anything below that is precultural."

Engineering and contingency questions: Commissioners asked about the proposed enclosure's piers and geotechnical risk. Staff said engineers are awaiting geotechnical results; earlier borings and hydrology data put the water table in the church area around 25–29 feet, so the archaeology program's investigations are intended to clear the topsoil and locate sensitive deposits before deeper pile work is designed and permitted.

Permits and votes: The Antiquities Advisory Board recommended, and the full commission approved, issuance of historic buildings and structures antiquities permit no. 1317 (removal of the first bay of the 1936 arcade adjacent to the Alamo church) and separately approved an antiquities‑code data recovery permit authorizing hand‑excavated data recovery and monitoring tied to the enclosure and drainage work. The commission recorded those approvals by voice vote on Jan. 31.

Quotes and attribution: "We're in a joint partnership to lead that effort alongside the THC staff," Doctor Rogers told commissioners in opening remarks about the Alamo plan. "Nothing is more important than the preservation of the church and the long barrack, our two most important architectural artifacts." Tiffany, the Alamo archaeologist, added: "We do have evidence of the trenches dug by the defenders ... and we'll work with all of the design teams for interpretation of that."

What happens next: Staff said they will proceed with the approved archaeology program and permit clearances, install temporary shoring and protective scaffolding over probed areas, and develop the enclosure and drainage final designs informed by the archaeology. The commission said it expects to see subsequent construction permits and larger project designs returned for review before permanent building work occurs.

Ending note: Commissioners and staff repeatedly framed the votes as a preservation‑first approach: clear the archaeology, stabilize the fabric, then implement confinement and conservation measures to protect the church and long barrack while longer‑term restoration is designed and funded.