On Site Office

The Kalich House, The First On-Site Office

After more than a year and a half of intense efforts by volunteers from throughout the State, the Kalich House, donated by Peggy and Jonathan Kalich of Schulenburg, has now opened as the first on-site office of the TCHCC. The public is invited to visit the facility and peruse the items in the gift shop and display area. The library, which at the present is a non-lending facility, houses materials on genealogical research, various family histories, and general works, both literary and nonliterary, on Texas Czech culture, and Czech literature, history, and culture. A major collection of Czech books has recently been donated by Donna and Guenter Merkle of Houston. In addition, there is also a boardroom with is available by reservation on weekends for small meetings. Now flying in front of the Kalich House are the American, Texas, and Czech flags donated by several Board members and their families.

We are located in La Grange at 300 W. Fairgrounds Road which is located immediately at the entrance to the Fayette County Fairgrounds on Highway 77 North, one-quarter mile north of intersection of Highways 77 and the Highway 71 Bypass.

Also in the discussion stage are plans for designing a "garden area" around the flagpoles where memorial paving stones that have already been purchased will be displayed until the main museum structure is built, at which time the stones will be moved to their final location. By having the memorial paving stones in place in front of the Kalich House, people who have purchased them will be able to see them as soon as possible; in addition this may encourage others to consider purchasing a stone. If feasible, the first segment of the Immigrant's Wall will also be temporarily put in place in front of the Kalich House.

A sincere debt of gratitude is extended to all of those who were instrumental in helping the restoration of this piece of of history become a reality and enabling the TCHCC to have such a wonderful first on-site office and Visitor's Center.

The TCHCC Kalich House is open to the public Monday through Friday from 10:00 in the morning until 4:00 in the afternoon. Plans call for the the facility to be open on weekends sometime in the near future; in the meantime, call ahead for special arrangements for weekend visits. For more information call (toll-free): 1-888-785-4500.