Call to Action: Help us #SaveEast12th
On Thursday, December 12, Austin City Council will vote to designate 1500 East 12th Street as a City of Austin Landmark and protect it from demolition. The building, which is owned by Dallas-based developer Eureka Holdings, has sat at the intersection of 12th and Comal for over 100 years, tracing East Austin’s history from a German immigrant enclave to a center of Black business and cultural life.
Eureka owns dozens of properties along the historic 12th Street Corridor and has kept silent about its plans for the corridor for the better part of a decade. Help us #SaveEast12th by letting Council know you SUPPORT preservation for this century old property.
Preservation Austin, Rogers-Washington-Holy Cross Neighborhood Association, Organization of Central East Austin Neighborhoods (OCEAN), Austin Revitalization Authority, Bethany Cemetery Association, Travis County Historical Commission, Preservation Texas, East Austin Conservancy, the Historic Landmark Commission, the Community Development Commission and many more community leaders and activists have rallied to demand 1500 East 12th Street’s preservation as a City of Austin Landmark. Now we need your help - see below for more details + info on how to help #SaveEast12th
About the Case
On December 12th, Austin City Council has a chance to support the residents of East Austin in their fight to preserve a landmark that has anchored East 12th and Comal Streets since the late 1800s. This property, 1500 East 12th Street, has been recognized by city staff as meeting the requirements for Historic Landmark designation due to its architectural significance, historical associations, and community value. In addition, it has received unanimous and thoughtful support from the Historic Landmark Commission and the Planning Commission. Now, Council has the opportunity to save this building from demolition and designate it as a City of Austin Landmark. However, securing this designation requires a supermajority vote (9 of 11 members) by the council, as the owner, Dallas-based developer Eureka Holdings, opposes the landmark status.
Eureka owns over three dozen properties along the East 12th Street corridor and has consistently declined to share their plans for this district publicly. Since Eureka purchased 1500 East 12th Street in 2016, the building has sat vacant and its condition has declined significantly.
Circa 1930 - Eisenbeiser’s/East End Saloon
Circa 2015 - Prior to Eureka’s acquisition
Circa 2004 - Ministry of Challenge Rehabilitation Center
Today (2024) - Vacant and deteriorating
History of 1500 East 12th Street
The building at 1500 E. 12th Street has served the residents of East Austin since at least 1911, and possibly as early as 1889. Situated across from two existing historic landmarks, the I.Q. Hurdle House and the Southgate-Lewis House, this intersection is a key anchor of Austin’s African American Cultural Heritage District. Originally constructed by local grocer and politician Christian J. Willhem, it later became the property of Ernest and Louisa Eisenbeiser, who operated a produce and dry goods store, a saloon, and a restaurant.
In the 1950s, Black businessman Buford Johnson purchased the building, transforming it into a community hub during an era when segregation limited Black Americans' access to civic and commercial life. The property housed the Fifteen Hundred Beauty and Barber Shops and Club Fifteen Hundred, a bar and music venue. It also became home to the Gamma Eta Alpha Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha, the oldest fraternity to allow Black members. By the 1960s, the building had undergone significant improvements and gained recognition as a thriving music venue.
Austin American-Statesman (April 27, 1934)
Austin American-Statesman (January 31, 1957)
Brewer, J. Mason. A Pictorial and Historical Souvenir of Negro Life in Austin, Texas 1950-51: Who's Who and What's What. Photo courtesy of HLC Commissioner Dr. Tara Dudley.
Why it Matters
East Austin’s 12th Street corridor is not just a place; it is a historic district filled with the cultural heritage and legacy of Austin’s Black and Brown communities. This legacy is under threat today as Dallas-based developer Eureka Holdings pursues plans to demolish and redevelop key historical sites that have served as community landmarks for generations.
12th Street looking west from Chicon Street, Austin History Center, PICA36901.
This area has been a sanctuary of resilience, entrepreneurship, and culture, and its preservation is essential not only for those who live here today but for future generations who deserve to know the full story of our city’s past. Their disregard for this heritage is evident in their lack of stated plans for the district and their continued neglect of the 12th Street buildings they own. Preserving this building is about more than safeguarding a structure—it’s about protecting the stories, struggles, and triumphs of a community that has shaped Austin for generations.
Eureka-Owned Properties on East 12th Street
Our Call to Action
The stories of East Austin’s Black and Brown residents deserve to be remembered, not erased by the pressures of rapid development. Without historic preservation, Austin risks losing not only its past but also its future—a future that should celebrate and honor the contributions of all its communities.
Austin City Council has a crucial decision to make: protect this vital piece of Austin’s Black heritage, or risk its erasure in the name of profit. The community’s voice is clear—this history matters, and it must be preserved for future generations. We urge Austin City Council, the Historic Landmark Commission, and the Planning Commission and any relevant decision-makers to take the following steps:
Designate 1500 East 12th Street as a City of Austin Landmark
Protect East 12th Street by creating a historic district to prevent future development that threatens the area's cultural fabric.
Enforce existing preservation codes and conduct an impact assessment to understand how these developments will affect Austin’s Black and Brown communities.
Work with community organizations and residents to identify development solutions that respect the heritage and cultural significance of East Austin.
How You Can Help
Your voice can make a difference. This is not just a fight for a building—it’s a fight for justice, preservation, and the integrity of Austin’s Black and Brown communities. The more people who speak out, the harder it will be for city officials and developers to ignore the will of the people. Below are several ways you can help preserve East Austin’s cultural and historical assets.
SIGN + SHARE OUR PETITION
WRITE TO COUNCIL
Submit a written statement to Council expressing your support for preservation of 1500 East 12th Street and the historic 12th Street Corridor. Feel free to use our sample language - however, a personalized message is always more effective! You can also reach out directly to your City Council Member and urge them to protect this historic site - find your Council District HERE.
Dear Mayor Watson, Mayor Pro Tem Pool, and Members of Austin City Council
I write to you today asking that you vote YES to designate 1500 East 12th Street as a City of Austin Historic Landmark. For decades, East Austin has seen countless demolitions and displacement of its historic Black and Brown communities, erasing generations of stories and people who have shaped our city. 1500 East 12th Street traces a long lineage of East Austin history, from its days as a enclave for German immigrants in the early 1900s to its midcentury history as a site of Black business and cultural life. Dallas-based owner Eureka Holdings has shown no indication that they intend to honor the history of this site, and its demolition would be a huge loss for our city’s history. I ask that you take action to protect what remains of East Austin’s Black history.
Thank you for your consideration and service to our city.
[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR ADDRESS]
SPEAK UP AT CITY HALL
Join us on Thursday, December 12th at 2PM, when Council will discuss the future of 1500 East 12th Street. Here's how to sign up to speak:
Click the link HERE to access the sign-up page
Select the "December 12, 2024 - Regular Austin City Council Meeting"
Sing up to speak IN FAVOR of Item 90
Select "Yes" to the question asking if you wish to speak
Provide your information and you're all set!
Here are some critical dates/times to remember if you’d like to speak at Council - learn more HERE.
ONLINE REGISTRATION to speak IN PERSON OR BY PHONE opens on Monday, December 9 at 10 AM and closes Wednesday, December 11 at 12 PM
CITY HALL REGISTRATION to speak IN PERSON ONLY opens on Wednesday, December 11 at 12 PM and closes Thursday, December 12 at 9:15 AM (45 minutes before Council meeting begins)
SUPPORT PRESERVATION AUSTIN
Preservation Austin is the only citywide nonprofit dedicated to preservation, and our members, donors, and sponsors make this work possible. If you believe in preserving the places and spaces that make Austin Austin, we hope you’ll join us in this work by becoming a member or donating today.
THIS ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN AND PREPARED BY TRAVIS HOLLER, MEMBER OF PRESERVATION AUSTIN’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS, WITH ASSISTANCE FROM MARY KAHLE, JUANRAYMON RUBIO, AND MIRIAM CONNER.