A fairly significant discovery was made in Texas at the San Antonio Zoo when an excavation project uncovered the original limestone quarry used to build the Alamo. Outside of being an interesting find, it comes at the perfect time as the Alamo is undergoing a massive $550 million restoration project.
This was why excavators were at the zoo in the first place, they had reason to believe the new gorilla exhibit was sitting atop some valuable limestone. According to The San Antonio Report, Pamela Jary Rosser, the Alamo’s Head Conservator, called for the dig, and after three rounds of testing, it was confirmed that the limestone at the zoo was the exact same used to build the historic site in the 1700s.
“This is a really important discovery,” Kate Rogers, executive director of the Alamo Trust, Inc., said in a recent video.
Rogers went on to explain that the limestone found in the zoo quarry can now be used in the ongoing Alamo restoration project. She said “the timing could not be better” because now they can use the “authentic source of that stone” to truly restore the site to its former 300-year-old glory.
The restoration efforts were first announced back in 2015 when the long-term plans were finally put into motion. It’s expected that the process will conclude in 2027.
Later this year, the Alamo Church will experience repairs centered around stone deterioration, along with replacing the roof. The limestone discovery at the San Antonio Zoo will help maintain the structural integrity of the building. Along with the church, there will be an emphasis on restoring an assortment of monuments at the site.
If you’re wondering where the heck Texas is getting $550 million for this project, it’s from The Alamo Trust fundraising efforts. Through the program, which involves all 254 counties in the state, there are hundreds of millions raised privately to help keep the Alamo alive.
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