Everyone involved in the making of “Haskell House and the Story of Clarksville,” a documentary short film about the oldest documented residence within the Clarksville National Register historic district, was recognized by the Austin Parks and Recreation Board at its regular meeting this past Monday.
“The Haskell House holds an invaluable piece of our City’s heritage, serving as a bridge between the past and the present,” the board’s letter reads.
The Hezikiah Haskell House, located in Clarksville at 1703 Waterston Ave., is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a state of Texas and city of Austin historic landmark. The film about the 1870s-era house was sponsored by the parks department’s historic preservation and tourism program, and it premiered on Nov. 16 at the George Washington Carver Cultural Center and Museum.
“Haskell House and the Story of Clarksville,” which is currently played for visitors to the Haskell House and can be viewed online, chronicles the life of Hezikiah Haskell and his descendants and the related history of the neighborhood. Founded by James Clark in 1833, Clarksville was one of the first established freedom colonies, which are Texas communities settled by formerly enslaved people during the Reconstruction and Jim Crow eras following Emancipation.
“When we set out to make this, we wanted to make a documentary that would not only educate visitors but also give them a deeper and more authentic connection to the Haskell House and the decedents of Clarksville’s original residents,” said Cynthia Jefferies, a graphic designer who was a driving force for the creation of the project.
“Today, under a use agreement, the house is managed and maintained by the Clarksville Community Development Corporation and the … neighborhood organization for historic Clarksville. The CCDC operates the house as a museum about the history of Clarksville and its early residents,” public historian Sarah Marshall said. It also functions as a space for community activities and meetings and has a community garden.
The house was built by Peter Tucker and his wife, Betty, in about 1875. Tucker, a formerly enslaved man, sold the house to Edwin and Mary Smith shortly after constructing it. Mary Smith was one of the founders of the historic Sweet Home Missionary Baptist Church.
“Initially, services were held in the Smiths’ home because early Clarksville residents did not have the money for land and a building,” Marshall said.
Sweet Home church was officially founded in 1877 by Rev. Jacob Fontaine, who was born into slavery in 1808 and became a pioneering minister. Today, the congregation still holds services every Sunday.
The Smiths later deeded the house to their daughter, Catherine, and her husband, Hezikiah Haskell. Hezikiah fought on the side of the Union during the Civil War and then worked as a buffalo soldier, who were Black soldiers serving in the western U.S. after the Civil War. The Haskells raised their family in the house. After their son, Hezikiah Jr., died in 1976, the family donated the house to the city of Austin.
The city originally planned to relocate the house off the property. However, it is documented in family lore that the spirit of Hezikiah Haskell twice visited the crane operator who was scheduled to transport the house, warning him not to move it. Since then, the house has been restored and connected to electricity and plumbing, remaining in the same location where it was constructed.
Austin’s Historic Preservation and Tourism Program “has been instrumental in bringing in over $51 million in capital improvement plan budget for our development projects of historic locations,” said Alyssa Tharrett, project management supervisor in the Architectural Development Division. “They also are a huge proponent of us getting over $3 million in operating costs that support all of our historic preservation programs throughout the system.”
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historic preservation: Official actions of a municipality such as the City of Austin taken to preserve structures with their jurisdiction. Preservation is often accompanied by a property tax exemption.
Parks and Recreation Board: The city’s Parks and Recreation Board members deal with the acquisition, development, improvement, and maintenance of Austin’s parks and playgrounds.
