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Preservation Austin turns ideas into actions that protect and promote Austin's distinct character, fostering vibrancy and growth. Join us as we keep you informed about proposed changes and share the latest news updates.
Bethany Cemetery Designated a City of Austin Landmark, Honoring Austin’s Oldest Black Cemetery
The cemetery, located at 1300-1308 Springdale Road, is the oldest known Black cemetery in Austin and one of the city’s most significant sites of Black heritage. Preservation Austin is honored to partner with Bethany Cemetery Association President Sue Spears-Martin to prepare and bring forward this nomination.
Preservation Austin and Partners Secure Council Vote to Save 140+ Year-Old East Austin Building
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.
Advocacy Alert: Federal Action Threatens Historic and Cultural Places Nationwide
The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) is advancing a sweeping and damaging proposal to rewrite the regulations for Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). If implemented, these new rules would dramatically diminish the current legal protections for historic and cultural places.
Historic Irene Hill-Thompson House, Landmark of Black History, Designated As Landmark
Preservation Austinis thrilled to announce that Austin City Council designated the Hill-Thompson House as a City of Austin Landmark at their May 28 meeting. The residence, located at 1906 Maple Avenue, was designed by pioneering Black architect John S. Chase, FAIA, for civic leader Irene Hill-Thompson, widow of Oscar Thompson, the first Black student to graduate from The University of Texas at Austin.
Historic Calhoun House Designated City of Austin Landmark, Honoring Black Educators’ Legacy
Preservation Austin is thrilled to announce that Austin City Council voted to designate the Calhoun House as a City of Austin Landmark. The residence was once the home of pioneering Black educators and civic leaders, Thelma and T.C. Calhoun.
Learn About Proposition Q’s Impact on Historic Preservation
Preservation Austin’s mission is to empower Austinites to shape a more inclusive, resilient, and meaningful community culture through preservation. As stewards of this mission, and as the only citywide nonprofit for historic preservation, we seek to educate Austinites about Proposition Q’s impact on the City of Austin’s preservation program ahead of the November 4 election.
Austin City Council Designates Whitehall Cooperative as a Historic Landmark
Preservation Austin is thrilled to announce that Austin City Council voted to designate the Whitehall Cooperative Building as a City of Austin Landmark at their October 9 meeting. The cooperative residence, located on Nueces Street in West Campus, is a rare landmark of women’s history and one of Texas’s oldest housing co-ops.
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.