Read our interview with Kim McKnight, Division Manager of the Historic Preservation Office in the City’s Planning Department. A year into this role, Preservation Austin asked her to reflect on the challenges and opportunities for preservation in Austin today.

The Herrera sisters, Consuelo and Mary Grace, left an indelible mark on Austin’s educational landscape. As pioneering Mexican American educators, they contributed to bilingual education in the city and advocated tirelessly for their students. Their work not only transformed the learning experience for countless children; it also demonstrated the profound impact that dedicated educators can have on their communities.

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.

In the far reaches of Austin, off the winding roads leading to Volente, sits a sacred meeting space. Sacred in both intention and practice, Alma de Mujer exists as a sanctuary for lesbians, Indigenous women, and marginalized communities.

Nestled within the vibrant Red River Cultural District in Austin, Texas, the address at 900 Red River Street holds a rich tapestry of LGBTQ+ history, resilience, and community spirit.

In the early 1970s, East Austin was the setting of a two-and-a-half-year-long labor strike by the overwhelming majority Mexican American workforce of the Economy Furniture Industries plant.

The recent rehabilitation of East Austin’s Frias Grocery Store by an Austin resident is a great example of how to sensitively meld business, residential, and cultural goals while honoring the surrounding community.

A quaint yellow building is nestled on West 14th Street, located less than half a mile west of the Texas State Capitol in downtown Austin. Passersby would have no way of knowing that over 50 years ago this unassuming spot was where a young UT Law graduate prepared for a case that would change the course of U.S. history.