Rogers Washington Holy Cross - Austin’s Newest Local Historic District
BY CYRUS YERXA
Della Phillips House, 2014 (Patrick Y. Wong)
On September 3rd, 2020, Austin City Council voted to designate the Rogers Washington Holy Cross District. This district is Austin’s eighth locally designated historic district. More significantly, it is the first to recognize the history of a primarily African American neighborhood. The Rogers Washington Holy Cross Neighborhood Association received unanimous support for their designation from the Historic Landmark Commission, Planning Commission, and City Council.
“With the rapid growth of our city, East Austin has been hit particularly hard with the erasure of historically and culturally significant places. Developed in an era of explicit racial segregation that prevented black homeownership in most of Austin, Rogers Washington Holy Cross represented a beacon of hope and opportunity,” read a statement from District 1 council member Natasha Harper-Madison.
Thompson House, 2024 (Jenn Rose Smith)
In 2016, the Neighborhood Association contacted the City of Austin and Preservation Austin to address rising property taxes, new construction that was incompatible with the neighborhood, and the displacement of long-term families. The cities Historic Preservation Office and Preservation Austin provided support through a five-year process of addressing these issues and helping the district gain their designation.
The Rogers Washington Holy Cross was initially developed in the 1950s. The area features post World War II street layouts and cul-de-sac characteristics, and homes that embody contemporary, ranch, and traditional styles. Several homes in the district were designed by the esteemed John Chase, the first African American to graduate from the University of Texas School of Architecture. Chase was also the first African American architect to be licensed by the state of Texas.
Calhoun House, 2021 (Lauren Kerr)
African Americans moved to Rogers Washington Holy Cross because it was a place that provided them resources at a time when other places would reject them. Segregation was rampant in Austin. Policies made at the local, state, and federal levels led to racially restrictive covenants and discriminatory mortgage lending practices, and Rogers Washington Holy Cross was one of the few places in Austin that African Americans could move to improve their situations.
“Your vote is not only for preservation, but also a vote for a neighborhood steeped in acceptance, love, the urge to do what’s right, and most important of all community. — Mesa Ramirez
Before Rogers Washington Holy Cross received their historic designation, homeowners were often pursued by developers to sell their homes. In 2016, the neighborhood association made their plan to pursue the historic designation known to their neighbors and the process was underway. Brenda Malik, a resident of Rogers Washington Holy Cross, stated that the community “was not against change. We are not against new people coming in. We just want to keep the character of the neighborhood the same.”
Kirk House, 2021 (Lauren Kerr)
Rogers Washington Holy Cross is a district that embodies more than just history. While addressing City Council members on Sept. 3, Rogers Washington Holy Cross resident Mesa Ramirez said, “Your vote is not only for preservation, but also a vote for a neighborhood steeped in acceptance, love, the urge to do what’s right, and most important of all community.”
IN 2021, PRESERVATION AUSTIN FEATURED THE ROGERS-WASHINGTON-HOLY CROSS HISTORIC DISTRICT IN OUR VIRTUAL HOMES TOUR, “ROGERS-WASHINGTON-HOLY CROSS: BLACK HERITAGE, LIVING HISTORY.” WATCH THE COMPLETE DOCUMENTARY BELOW.
THIS ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN FOR PRESERVATION AUSTIN’S FALL 2020 NEWSLETTER. READ OUR COMPLETE NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE HERE.