Preservation Austin exists to empower Austinites to shape a more inclusive, resilient, and meaningful community culture through preservation.

Membership makes our work possible. Learn about Annual, Monthly, and Business Memberships here.

Preservation Austin offices in the historic McFarland-McBee House at 3805 Red River Street. We are currently open by appointment only.

Have a question? Email one of our staff members.

Submit your business for our 2025 Legacy Business Month Passport!

Legacy Business Month is held every year in October. Our goal is to engage Austinites in patronizing beloved businesses, learning their histories, and advocating for policies to support their longevity.

Each year, our Legacy Business Month Passport encourages Austinites to patronize 10 local businesses, get their passports stamped, and support legacy businesses citywide.

Learn more and submit your business for consideration in our 2025 passport below.

Our Work

"Rather than look to the past and lament what has been lost, we're looking to the present, at the incredible places we still have, and are working to protect them for the future."

— Lindsey Derrington, Executive Director

Latest News from Preservation Austin

Featured
Texas’s Oldest Housing Co-Op Fights for 75 More Years
Texas’s Oldest Housing Co-Op Fights for 75 More Years

In Austin’s West Campus area — characterized today by towering apartment buildings, huge window panes, bright signs, and a boisterous population of 15,000 students — a medium-sized house known as Whitehall Cooperative sits as a haven of affordable housing for its residents.

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Protect Historic Preservation in Texas  – Oppose SB 2639! 
Protect Historic Preservation in Texas  – Oppose SB 2639! 

SB 2639 threatens the future of historic preservation in Texas by rewriting the rules for how cities protect significant historic sites. The bill will be heard in the House Committee on Land and Resource Management on Thursday, May 22 at 8 AM. Please reach out to the members of the Committee members and urge them to vote NO on SB 2639. Read on for more. 

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Call to Action! Historic Preservation Nationwide is Under Threat 
Call to Action! Historic Preservation Nationwide is Under Threat 

Federal historic preservation programs are in crisis. The Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) is currently threatened with total elimination by President Trump’s proposed FY26 Budget. The HPF provides critical funding for preservation work across the nation and here at home. Write to your representative today and ask them to support full funding of the HPF.

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Calling all Legacy Businesses! 📣 Our call for submissions for our 2025 Legacy Business Month Passport is now OPEN! ❤️ To be included in our passport, your business must: ✅ Be locally owned and operated ✅ Open for 20+ years ✅ Be a restaurant, bar, m
This weekend! Help shape the future of the San Bernard Street National Register District 🫶 We are proud to promote the San Bernard Street Historic District Community Day, hosted by the Travis County Historical Commission. Community members are invi
Preservation and affordable housing are taking center stage this week at City Hall! First up, on Wednesday, the Historic Landmark Commission will vote to designate Whitehall Cooperative as a City of Austin Landmark. Established in 1949, the Whitehal

Thank You to Our Supporters

McBee Family Foundation
Preservation Austin Supporter: David Wilson Garden Desgin
Preservation Austin Supporter: Still Water Foundation

Amber and Al Koehler | Anonymous | Emily Little | Erika Bonfanti and Jeff Acton

Jim Susman and Ellen Dorsey | Joanie Schoener Bentzin | John Constantine

Kelley Cooper McClure | The Lola Wright Foundation | Meta Butler Hunt

Nancy Scanlan | Roland Galang | Shepherd 5 Points Family Foundation

Sheridan and Perry Lorenz | The Susan Vaughan Foundation

Stacey and Aaron Franklin | Texas Preservation Trust Fund | Tyson Tuttle