Preservation Austin and Partners Secure Council Vote to Save 140+ Year-Old East Austin Building
AUSTIN, TX (September 1, 2026) – Preservation Austin is proud to share that last Thursday, August 27, Austin City Council unanimously voted to designate the Goins-Versea-Nitschke House (907 E 13 St) as a City of Austin Landmark and protect the building from demolition by owner Eureka Holdings. The 140+ year-old building is one of the oldest houses in the Swede Hill area, and is a landmark of East Austin’s working-class German and African American history. A supermajority vote of 9 of 11 members was required to designate. The Goins-Versea-Nitschke House is only the sixth known property designated by Austin City Council over an owner’s objections. Preservation Austin partnered with neighborhood advocates in Swede Hill and East Austin to secure the designation and encourage investment in its reuse.
“Austin’s City Council took a remarkable stand for preservation with this vote,” said Lindsey Derrington, Preservation Austin’s executive director. “They sent a clear message that Austinites deserve better, and deserve more, than demolition by neglect at the expense of our culture, our history, and our neighborhoods.”
Preservation Austin with neighborhood advocates and City Staff at City Hall, August 27, 2026
Goins-Versea-Nitschke House (907 E 13 St), then and now
About the Case
Built between 1873 and 1884, the house at 913 E 13th Street stands today as one of the oldest houses in the Swede Hill area. Its National Folk style speaks to its humble, working-class history. The Nitschke family, German cabinetmakers, built the home using construction techniques reminiscent of those in the nearby Swede Hill neighborhood. Anna Eliza Goins, a widow and mother of six children, purchased the home around 1924 and lived there until her passing in 1956. As a Black woman living in segregated Austin, she made a living working as a cook and a laundress, renting out rooms in her modest home to drivers, porters, cooks, and the like. Its distinctive style and high integrity convey a sense of Austin history that is rare and quickly vanishing. The working-class people who lived here embody the stories of so many Austinites who, despite inequity and segregation, nurtured lives and communities of their own making.
The property was designated for its architecture and historic associations. Historic zoning will only apply to the front part of the lot containing the original portions of the house, including only the front two rooms and side lean-to structure. This limited zoning will leave more than half of the lot available for infill development, including through the Preservation Bonus created by City Council as part of the HOME ordinance, which would enable the owner to significantly increase the site’s housing density.
Eureka Holdings purchased the Goins-Versea-Nitschke House in 2019 and applied for a demolition permit in 2026, citing structural failure. It is one of dozens of East Austin properties owned by the Dallas-based developer. In 2024, Preservation Austin led a campaign to designate the Eisenbeiser Building (1500 E 12 St), also owned by Eureka, as a City of Austin Landmark. Eureka is currently suing the City of Austin in federal court over the 2024 designation. Read more about the building’s history here.
WATCH TESTIMONY AT CITY HALL FROM PRESERVATION AUSTIN DIRECTOR TRAVIS HOLLER