On Dec. 5, Preservation Austin announced a $1 million gift by the McBee Family Foundation in support of the organization’s mission to empower Austinites to shape a meaningful community culture through preservation. Preservation Austin was founded as the Heritage Society of Austin in 1953. This gift is the largest in its 71-year history.
The McBee family’s gift will support establishing the newly-named McFarland-McBee House, at 3805 Red River St., built in 1947, as Preservation Austin’s office and home base. This year Preservation Austin launched its first-ever capital campaign, recognizing the need to grow its capacity for advocacy and programming to better serve Austin and its historic places.
"Architect and campaign Steering Committee Member Emily Little deserves much of the credit for our making this gift,” Robert F. McBee, President of the McBee Family Foundation and son of the late, legendary Austinites Sue and Frank McBee, said. “She phoned my sister Marilyn about the new capital campaign and the two of them made the decision, in much the same way as my mother did things. We look forward to watching how Preservation Austin grows and blossoms in its new headquarters."
“We are honored, and so moved, to accept this monumental gift from the McBee Family Foundation,” Lindsey Derrington, Preservation Austin’s Executive Director, said. “Sue McBee was an Austin icon – a dynamic civic force and a true leader of our city’s preservation movement. It is our privilege to keep her spirit alive by establishing the McFarland-McBee House as a center for preserving Austin’s cultural and architectural heritage for generations to come.”
“Sue McBee’s passion for preservation in Austin lives on, and this gift affirms the need for our work at this critical time in our city’s growth,” Melissa Barry, Board President of Preservation Austin, said. “Preservation Austin is the only citywide nonprofit dedicated to preserving historic places, from legacy businesses to historic neighborhoods, and this generous gift will allow us to sustainably grow our impact.”
About the McFarland-McBee House
Preservation Austin saved the beloved Streamline Moderne house from demolition in 2014. The organization has invested significant resources into its preservation since 2019, including critical structural repairs to reverse decades of neglect. The house is a City of Austin Landmark and listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
The McFarland-McBee House will be home to Preservation Austin’s staff with space for public gatherings and educational programming. This is the first space that Preservation Austin has owned and occupied since 1978.
About Preservation Austin
Preservation Austin exists to empower Austinites to shape a more inclusive, resilient, and meaningful community culture through preservation. For more information, visit preservationaustin.org.