Keep Texarkana Beautiful starts courtyard makeover at regional history museum
The two-week project at the Museum of Regional History will add native, pollinator-friendly plants and educational signs.
TEXARKANA, Texas–Keep Texarkana Beautiful has started a roughly two-week project to revitalize the courtyard at the Museum of Regional History in downtown Texarkana, adding native, pollinator-friendly plants and educational signs.
The city board is working with the Texarkana Museums System and local landscape architect Bryan Callaway on the project, which is expected to take about two weeks to complete, weather permitting, according to a news release.
The museum sits in the Texarkana Arts & Historic District and serves as both a historic landmark and a welcome center to downtown. The release said the project aims to make the museum’s exterior “more inviting, sustainable, and educational” as redevelopment continues around it.
Work includes improvements to the museum’s existing landscaping, irrigation system and retaining walls. The new plantings will be suited to the region, and signs will identify plant species and explain the importance of pollinators such as bees and butterflies to the local ecosystem, the release said.
Brooke Stone, Keep Texarkana Beautiful’s marketing and city liaison, said she first proposed the idea as a beautification project for the new year, but the committee wanted to take it further.
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“We hope this new space serves as an educational tool for residents of all ages and complements the continued investment taking place across the district,” Stone said.
Museum Director Ana Willis said the courtyard should reflect the community’s pride.
“Our museum welcomes guests from across the world every day, and the courtyard should reflect the pride we have in our community,” Willis said. “I’m incredibly grateful to Keep Texarkana Beautiful for recognizing this and truly making this vision possible.”
Additional improvements are planned, including a future water feature, better exterior lighting for the historic building and courtyard, and a combination trash and recycling receptacle for visitors and pedestrians, according to the release.
The project is funded with Community Development Corporation money through the city of Texarkana, Texas, and a grant from the Arkansas Community Foundation.
Keep Texarkana Beautiful is a city of Texarkana, Texas, board and commission and an affiliate of Keep Texas Beautiful.