Texas Confederate Woman's Home Context

Texas Confederate Woman's Home Context. . This subject marker was placed by, and belongs to, the Texas Historical Commission. It was funded by the Descendants of Confederate Veterans who have an interest in conserving Confederate history. The subject marker and its contents speak to the history of the property's former use, founded in 1908 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) as the Confederate Woman's Home, and was operated by the organization for 3 years. The building has since been the property of the State of Texas, housed the School for the Deaf, Blind and Orphans (now the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired), and was purchased by AGE of Central Texas in 1986. The building is currently identified as The AGE Building., Throughout its history, the UDC has supported initiatives such as the operation of the Confederate Woman's Home, where indigent wives, widows, and orphans of Confederate veterans could find refuge and live out the remainder of their lives. However, the UDC also built a monument to the Ku Klux Klan and endorsed them at a 1913 convention. The organization is referenced as Neo-Confederate by historians, described in part as groups and individuals who exhibit an understanding of race that favors segregation and suggests white supremacy. The shelter of the Confederate Woman's Home was therefore predominantly provided to the white female aging population., The UDC still exists today, and its values are in direct conflict with the inclusive nature of the building's current owner, AGE of Central Texas, a nonprofit organization that envisions a society where aging is a shared journey marked by connection, strength, and vitality, and the role of caregiving is supported through community, collaboration, and guidance. AGE of Central Texas provides services, education, and assistance that supports older adults and their caregivers representing all races, ethnicities, genders, ages, and sexual orientations. The services provided by AGE of Central Texas are designed to cultivate strength, compassion, and community for all., Please direct any questions, comments, or concerns regarding this marker to the Texas Historical Commission., Note: Following the Texas Historical Commission's process, AGE of Central Texas requested that the historical marker be removed and placed in a context where education may be provided alongside its history. As of October 28, 2020, the request for removal was denied.