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Preservation
A win for preservationists at historic San Jacinto warehouse
Austin’s warehouse district is on the way to gaining one more protected landmark as of this past Monday, after the Historic Landmark Commission rejected an application to demolish a historic grocery warehouse at 301 San Jacinto Blvd. Despite the property…
Preservation • By Kali Bramble • Nov 18, 2021
Montopolis school for Black students reopened its doors as neighborhood fights for preservation
Montopolis Negro School, a segregation-era grade school for Black children, reopened its doors on Saturday, welcoming Montopolis residents new and old, including some former students, back to an alma mater that hasn’t operated as a school in 60 years. The…
Preservation • By Willow Higgins • Nov 11, 2021
How the Historic Landmark Commission works to preserve Austin’s history
The Historic Landmark Commission is an all-volunteer, 11-member board appointed by members of City Council. The commission reviews applications for heritage grants, considers historic designations, weighs the merits of tax exemption applications, and acts generally as an advocate for historic…
Preservation • By Sean Saldaña • Nov 9, 2021
Neighbors oppose East Austin demolition case
The Historic Landmark Commission reviewed an application to demolish another East Austin home at its Oct. 25 meeting. The proposed demolition of the home, at 1601 Cedar Ave., garnered a significant amount of interest from the surrounding neighborhood. Citing potential…
Preservation • By Kali Bramble • Nov 8, 2021
Landmark commission resists demolition of San Jacinto warehouse
The Historic Landmark Commission faced a proposal to tear down a historic Austin property this past Monday, reviewing an application to demolish a warehouse at 301 San Jacinto Blvd. The brick building, which was constructed in 1912, has since passed through the…
Preservation • By Kali Bramble • Oct 28, 2021
Can the Dry Creek Café be saved?
Austin realtor Sherry LeBlanc was devastated when she found out the Dry Creek Café & Boat Dock was set to close its doors on Oct. 31. The historic watering hole was “more of a community than a bar” for her…
Preservation • By Andrew Logan • Oct 6, 2021
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Demolition on San Marcos Street postponed as neighbors resist redevelopment in East Austin
Opinions clashed over the fate of two cottages at 82 San Marcos St. last Monday, as the Historic Landmark Commission evaluated an application for their demolition. The two homes, built in 1941, are located in the Willow-Spence National Register Historic…
Preservation • By Kali Bramble • Oct 4, 2021
Clarksville demolition cases reveal challenges faced by preservationists
The Historic Landmark Commission grappled with its own limitations this past Monday as it oversaw the outcome of two Clarksville demolition cases with palpable disappointment. The two homes, located at 1805 Waterston Ave. and 1104 Toyath St., are both contributing…
Preservation • By Kali Bramble • Sep 30, 2021
Dilapidated Congress Avenue buildings move one step closer to reconstruction
After a yearslong saga, the owner of three run-down buildings at 907, 909 and 911 Congress Avenue will finally be able to reconstruct the buildings’ facades. On Sept. 14, the Planning Commission overruled a decision by the Historic Landmark Commission…
Preservation • By Jonathan Lee • Sep 24, 2021
New supermajority law for historic districts now in effect
The already tough task of creating historic districts in Austin just got a little harder, thanks to new state laws. In 2019, the Texas Legislature changed the rules governing the designation of historic landmarks by requiring a supermajority of the Historic…
Preservation • By Elizabeth Pagano • Sep 16, 2021
Fire destroys log cabin and preservation hopes
Plans to reconstruct and relocate a 19th-century log cabin at 5613 Patton Ranch Road are now moot after a fire destroyed the property. “We’ve reviewed the fire report and the cabin is a total loss,” Historic Preservation Officer Steve Sadowsky explained…
Preservation • By Elizabeth Pagano • Sep 15, 2021
East Austin stadium celebrated by Black community nominated for national historic status
At first glance, Yellow Jacket Stadium feels a bit unassuming. Visitors see a track, a football field, a few sets of bleachers, and a parking lot with room for only a handful of vehicles. Unlike other athletic sites like Burger…
