Westcave Archive

The Westcave Archive is an online exhibit of select materials from our history. Highlights include the people, events, artwork, documents, and memories that have shaped this remarkable place. The full archive lives behind the scenes, carefully preserved and continually growing.

Scroll to explore Westcave’s story.

Before the Preserve

The land, families, and communities that came before Westcave.

  • Historic 1882 land grant document connected to the land now protected as Westcave Preserve

    1882

    LAND GRANT TO J. B. HAMMETT

    One of the earliest documents connected to the land that would later become Westcave Preserve.

  • 1870s

    WESTCAVE, WILLIAM J. OPLIPHANT
    A photograph of West Cave by William J. Olliphant, an Austin photographer active between 1866–1880.

  • 1880s

    PAINTING BY HERMANN LUNGWITZ

    A painting of the Westcave Grotto by Hermann Lungkwitz, created around 1880 during his commissioned sketching tour of the Pedernales River Valley for the Texas General Land Office.

    Estate of Walter and William Staehely; James Patrick McGuire, Hermann Lungkwitz: Romantic Landscapist on the Texas Frontier (1983).

  • A woman with curly dark hair sitting on a beige couch in a modern room with a wooden accent wall, sunlight casting shadows on the wall.

    1920s

    HAMILTON POOL SCHOOL

    A rural schoolhouse that served children and families living throughout the surrounding Hill Country community.

    Students pictured (left to right): Bernice Hunnicutt, Florene Bond, Elnora Neumann, and J.D. Lawson. Teacher: Ruth Hunnicutt Haynes. Kneese family photograph.

  • EARLY 1900s

    HAMMETT’S CROSSING BRIDGE

    Hammett’s Crossing helped connect families, ranches, schools, and neighboring communities across the rural Hill Country landscape.

    Florene Bond (age 14, left) and Elnora Neumann (age 13) standing at the Pedernales River crossing.

  • A young man with dark skin and short black hair sitting on a beige cushioned bench against a beige wall, wearing a gray polo shirt and white pants, looking to his left with a serious expression.

    1937–1966

    THE LAY RANCH YEARS

    During this period, the property was part of the Lay Ranch, preserving glimpses of ranching, family life, and the landscape before Westcave was established.

The Beginning of Westcave

By the early 1970s, years of uncontrolled use had left the canyon heavily damaged.

  • Historic 1882 land grant document connected to the land now protected as Westcave Preserve

    1952

    PEDERNALES RIVER FLOOD

    Photograph by S. D. Breeding, taken after the September 11 flood of record. Water rose an estimated 50–70 feet above Hammett’s Crossing. Courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey.

  • 1970s

    THE FIRST SCHOOL PROGRAMS

    John Ahrns traveled to schools across Dripping Springs, Johnson City, and the Lake Travis area, inviting teachers to bring students to Westcave. These early visits marked the beginning of the Preserve’s long-standing environmental education program.

  • 1979

    THE GROTTO

    A historic view of the restored grotto during Westcave’s early years as a preserve. From the Westcave Archival Project.

  • A woman with curly dark hair sitting on a beige couch in a modern room with a wooden accent wall, sunlight casting shadows on the wall.

    1980s–1990s

    THE EARLY VISITOR CENTER

    Before the Environmental Learning Center, Westcave operated from a double-wide trailer that served as its headquarters. Tours were organized, students were welcomed, and the everyday work of caring for the Preserve continued from this modest space.

  • LATE 1990s

    ENVISIONING A NEW VISITOR CENTER

    Early sketches by architect Robert Jackson reveal a clear goal: create a building that belonged to the landscape rather than competed with it. The design remained intentionally simple so that the canyon and surrounding ecosystem would stay at the center of the visitor experience.

Learning the Land

“We are interpreters, not teachers.” - John Ahrns

  • Historic 1882 land grant document connected to the land now protected as Westcave Preserve

    2002

    BUILT FROM THE LAND

    During construction of the Environmental Learning Center, Glen Rose limestone quarried near Sisterdale was used to connect the building to the same geological formation found throughout the Preserve.

  • 2006

    NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED GREEN DESIGN

    The American Institute of Architects recognized Westcave’s Environmental Learning Center as one of the top ten green buildings in the United States.

  • 2008

    PROTECTING THE UPLANDS

    Westcave expanded its protected landscape with the acquisition of the Uplands, a tract upstream from the grotto and waterfall that helps safeguard the water flowing into the canyon.

  • A woman with curly dark hair sitting on a beige couch in a modern room with a wooden accent wall, sunlight casting shadows on the wall.

    2009

    RECONNECTING CHILDREN WITH NATURE

    Westcave Preserve launched the Children in Nature Collaborative of Austin, or CiNCA, to reconnect children with the natural world and inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.

Videos From The Archive

The Story of Westcave

This video traces Westcave’s transformation from a heavily damaged, unmanaged swimming hole into a protected preserve dedicated to conservation and environmental education. It highlights the people, restoration efforts, and community support that shaped Westcave’s early history and lasting mission.

Directed by Dean Rindy and Richard Kooris.

Take a Tour of Westcave with John Ahrns

Join longtime Westcave steward John Ahrns for a guided journey through the Preserve. Along the way, he shares the natural features, stories, and interpretive approach that helped generations of visitors form a deeper connection with Westcave. Believed to be filmed in 1990s, but no date was provided.

Filmed by Kevin Ryan.

Publications by Decade

Pictures and Information: Westcave Archive Project and Discovering Westcave by S. Christopher Caran and Elaine Davenport.

Discovering Westcave