Spanning 82 acres in the Pecos River valley, Fort Lancaster State Historic Site contains remnants of the historic military fort established in 1855, that played an important role in our westward expansion by providing escorts for mail carriers, wagon trains, and settlers on the San Antonio–El Paso Road en route to California.

 

PDG Architects was called upon to redesign the existing Visitor Center and Museum that would allow Texas Historical Commission to fulfill its mission of introducing visitors to the historic site.  The design included renovations to the existing mid-century building and a tightly-integrated addition on the fort side. The redesigned Visitor Center added new exhibit space, accessible restrooms, an expanded gift shop area and expansive open picnic areas with views of the fort grounds.

 

With expansive views of the fort historic grounds, the new exhibit gallery is the centerpiece of the addition. The newly constructed metal structures shade outdoor picnic areas and improve energy consumption of the building, while accomplishing the important design goal of ensuring visitors can clearly distinguish the Visitor Center from the historic grounds.