Bush Family Home becomes a part of the THC Historic Sites

May 23—MIDLAND — It's a house that has been the home to two presidents, two governors, a first lady, ambassador, CIA director and more.

Now, the Bush Family Home in Midland is a Texas Historical Commission State Historic Site.

A ribbon cutting ceremony was held Tuesday at the Bush Family Home to mark the occasion.

"This is a ceremony to welcome the site into the Texas Historical Commission," Site Manager Troy Gray said. "This has been something that we've been planning for a long time. Finally, it's coming to be and we're happy to be here. My job is to create new programs and get new audiences out here to tell that story well."

Formerly known as the George W. Bush Childhood home, the home opened as a museum in 2006 after a ceremony that was attended by former President George H.W. Bush and First Ladies Barbara and Laura Bush.

The Bush Family Home was built in 1940 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as the residence of a family that over the years has left an impact on state and national politics from the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

Gray talked about the process that it took to have the Bush Family Home join the list of Texas Historical Commission State Historic Sites.

"There was an assessment done to see if there was a site that qualifies for everything they wanted to see and if it's an important site and if it was needed to come under the Texas Historical Commission. There was talk of it to be a national park, but it's more important to Texas history, just because of the Bush family were all around Texas. They came from the East but they became a Texas family. It was a long process. I only came here since January so since then, we've been working toward this event. I've been also planning new programs and ideas for what this house can be."

Gray says the properties next to the house have been purchased and will likely be used to expand the property.

"In the future, we're hoping to expand on the property," Gray said. "We've already bought the two properties next door. We know that there's going to be a lot more room for exhibits and educational programs. That's going to be exciting."

There are currently 36 state historic sites for the THC.

The agency's portfolio of key Texas historic sites also includes the San Jacinto Battleground and Monument in La Porte, the National Museum of the Pacific War (Fredericksburg) and the Port Isabel Lighthouse.

"This is a fantastic property," Executive Director of the Texas Historical Commission Mark Wolfe said. "We have 36 properties in the state that we administer. This one has such great connections that I just couldn't see us not accepting the opportunity.

The Bush Family Home is located at 1412 West Ohio St. in Midland.

The new touring hours for the home are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2-5 p.m. on Sundays and open by appointment only on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

The home is closed on Mondays.

For more information about the Bush Family Home, go to tinyurl.com/yuux8vtk.