LCRA, PEC award $21,795 grant for upgrades to historic building in Dripping Springs

Rambo Masonic Lodge No. 426 will replace aging windows in 141-year-old structure

June 14, 2023

LCRA and Pedernales Electric Cooperative representatives present a $21,795 grant to Rambo Masonic Lodge No. 426 to replace windows in its historic building. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program. Pictured, from left to right, are: Dick Clark, lodge treasurer; Tom Chenault, lodge secretary; Rick Arnic, LCRA Regional Affairs representative; Michelle Lewis, lodge supporter; Pat Ekstrum, Southwest Exteriors project contractor; Ashley Bobel, Dripping Springs Historic Preservation Commission vice chair; Diana Gonzales, PEC public affairs representative; Susan Kimball, Dripping Springs Chamber of Commerce president; Marcus Bierman, lodge junior warden; Todd Lewis, lodge member; Margaret D. “Meg” Voelter, LCRA Board member; Amanda Miyamoto, Dripping Springs Chamber of Commerce vice president; Carol Freeman, LCRA Board member; Wayland Clark, lodge building committee member and grant writer; Michelle Fischer, Dripping Springs Historic Preservation Commission officer; Eduardo Contreras, lodge worshipful master; Dean Erickson, Dripping Springs Historic Preservation Commission chair; Lynn Alderson, lodge senior warden; and Steve Mallett, Dripping Springs Historic Preservation Commission commissioner.

DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas – With the help of a $21,795 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and Pedernales Electric Cooperative, Rambo Masonic Lodge No. 426 will install new energy-efficient windows in its 141-year-old building within the Dripping Springs Downtown Historic District.

The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $6,147 in matching funds from the lodge, will pay for the installation of 10 energy-efficient windows on the building’s ground floor. The two-story limestone building, which was completed in 1882, was declared a Texas historic landmark in 1968.

Wayland Clark, a member of the lodge’s building committee and grant writer, said the building’s 30 windows, many of which are more than 50 years old, are in various states of disrepair. Replacing them with energy-efficient versions while adhering to Texas Historical Commission guidelines for historic landmarks has been challenging.

“We have members of this lodge who attended school in this building and want to preserve it – we love it and our community loves it – but it is very expensive to do,” Clark said. “The grant will help us out and reinforces our determination to go forward. It’s kind of a kick-starter for us. We’re hopeful we can get even more of the windows replaced.”

The building first served as the home of Dripping Springs Academy, a school founded by a Baptist preacher in 1881. In 1889, the building was acquired by the public school district and in 1920, a second floor was added. Rambo Masonic Lodge No. 426, a fraternal organization, purchased the building from the Dripping Springs Independent School District in 1952.

Today area schoolchildren frequently tour the building, which also provides meeting space for various civic groups. The Dripping Springs Chamber of Commerce had a visitors center in the building at one time, but Clark said the outdated windows made it difficult to maintain a comfortable climate-controlled environment.

Clark said the new windows will reduce energy costs for the lodge as well as provide a more welcoming environment for area organizations to meet on the building’s ground floor.

“We want to do everything we can so that not only are we proud of the project when it’s completed, but we want LCRA and our community to be proud of what’s been done, too,” Clark said. “We’re going to do our best to make sure that happens. This grant is certainly a blessing.”

The community grant is one of 34 grants awarded recently through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program, which helps volunteer fire departments, local governments, emergency responders and nonprofit organizations fund capital improvement projects in LCRA’s wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas. The program is part of LCRA’s effort to give back to the communities it serves. Pedernales Electric Cooperative is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and is a partner in the grant program. Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in July. More information is available at lcra.org/cdpp.

About LCRA
The Lower Colorado River Authority serves customers and communities throughout Texas by managing the lower Colorado River; generating and transmitting electric power; providing a clean, reliable water supply; and offering outdoor adventures at more than 40 parks along the Colorado River from the Texas Hill Country to the Gulf Coast. LCRA and its employees are committed to fulfilling our mission to enhance the quality of life of the Texans we serve through water stewardship, energy and community service. LCRA was created by the Texas Legislature in 1934 and receives no state appropriations. For more information, visit lcra.org.

About PECFounded in 1938 by then-Congressman Lyndon B. Johnson, Pedernales Electric Cooperative Inc. is a member-owned electric cooperative serving more than 385,000 accounts across Central Texas. An industry-recognized leader providing outstanding member service and reliable electricity, PEC conducts its business via a transparent and democratic process and highly encourages member participation.

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