What better way to ring in the new year than at a historic dance hall?! Click below to download a PDF list of New Year’s Eve dances that we’ve heard about.

Know about another dance we need to add to the list? Email us: admin@texasdancehall.org.

Posted on December 11th, 2018

You can help make sure that Texas’ historic dance halls have the insurance they need.

Texas dance halls – built of wood, often located in rural areas — are at risk from fires and floods. Club 21 in Uhland, Turner Hall in Fredericksburg, and Gruenau Hall in Yorktown all burned down within the last 10 years. Insurance for both Gruenau Hall and  Turner Hall covered less than 50% of the cost to rebuild; Club 21 had no insurance. Mixville Sunrise Hall (near Sealy) and the La Grange KC Hall were flooded during Hurricane Harvey.

Photos of Club 21, before and after the 2010 fire that destroyed the 107-year-old hall

Because dance halls are a unique type of building, insurance agents often have trouble figuring out how to establish an accurate property value or adequate replacement costs. As a result, halls may be underinsured or have trouble getting property insurance at all.

To address this problem, TDHP will bring in Historic Appraisals LLC, which appraises historic buildings for the National Trust Insurance Services, to visit between 4–10 typical halls and provide this critical information. All funds raised during Giving Tuesday 2018 will go toward Historic Appraisals’ $5,500 fee, which includes travel.

Please donate today to help make sure Texas dance halls have sufficient insurance!

Posted on November 23rd, 2018