The ruins atop the hill are the remains of an institution central to the founding and development of Salado. After a fire destroyed the property in 1924, it went unused until the Robertson Colony-Salado College Foundation formed in 1973 and placed it into trust to create a public park in memory of Texas pioneers and other worthy men and women of Texas. In 1989 and 1991, the Salado Historical Society excavated the foundation footprint, removed debris, and stabilized the ruins left by the 1924 fire. In the 1990s, the Salado College Foundation added a rock fence, iron gates, and a statue of Col. E. S. C. Robertson. In 2011, the foundation reorganized and continued work toward developing a public park centered on the Salado College ruins, with its development and maintenance dependent on support from people and organizations devoted to preserving Texas history. In March 2012, the Archeology Divison of the Texas Historical Commission and students from Baylor University excavated the base of the well on the south side of the ruin that had supplied water to Salado College.