Barbara Bush Literacy Plaza opens to 'preserve the first lady's legacy'

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and several other dignitaries recently joined the family of the late First Lady Barbara Bush to cut the ribbon to the Houston Public Library's Barbara Bush Literacy Plaza.

Barbara Bush served as first lady of the U.S. from 1989 to 1993 when her husband, George H.W. Bush, was the 41st U.S. president. She is the mother of the 43rd U.S. president, George W. Bush.

During her time as first lady, she was involved with many organizations that promoted American literacy and called it the “most important issue we have.” For her efforts to advance literacy in America, she was named Honorary Chairman of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy.

Barbara Bush died on April 17, 2018, at the age of 92.

The plaza was renamed after her in 2016 to honor her life and legacy and has reopened to the public this year, according to Houston Public Library.

"I was proud to join former President and First Lady Bush's family along with others for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of @houstonlibrary's Barbara Bush Literacy Plaza," Turner wrote in a Sept. 8 Twitter post. "This plaza will serve as a point of light for all in preserving First Lady Bush's legacy."

The plaza features a water wall, an adult reading area, a children’s reading room with shade structures and fans, a performance stage, a jumbo video display screen for engaging programming and events, new pavers, an artificial lawn, planters with trees, new furnishings and other special amenities.

"Starting this month, we invite you to Wednesdays on the Plaza at the Barbara Bush Literacy Plaza," Houston Library wrote in a Sept. 13 Twitter post.

Houston Library posted that Wednesdays on the Plaza was originally scheduled to start on Sept. 15, but has been postponed until Oct. 13 due to inclement weather.

Visitors can find the current schedule of upcoming Houston Library events here.