Preservation Austin is delighted to recognize the ambitious, innovative, and community-minded winners of our 64th Annual Preservation Merit Awards. The non-profit’s twelve winners for 2024 represent the wide-ranging efforts to build community and enhance historic spaces across Austin.

Unitarian Universalists have long been at the forefront of advocating for social justice, embracing a philosophy rooted in the inherent worth and dignity of every individual. This commitment to inclusivity and equality extends to the LGBTQIA+ community, with First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin (First UU) serving as a beacon of support and activism for over 50 years.

Preservation Austin’s mission to empower Austinites to shape a more inclusive, resilient, and meaningful community culture through preservation is only possible with the support of our valued members. We are the ONLY citywide nonprofit advocating for our historic spaces, and your support is needed now more than ever.

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.

The natural springs born out of Shoal Creek in Old West Austin have been part of the known and cherished network of waterways extensively traveled by Indigenous Peoples for millennia prior to European invasions.

Read a primer from our Indigenous Heritage intern on the relationship between historic preservation and indigenous heritage, reflecting on the evolution of preservation and how long Indigenous heritage has been overlooked by the field.

The building was formerly home to the historically significant University Junior High, which played a pivotal role in the desegregation of Texas public schools by voluntarily integrating in 1957 and contains murals by celebrated Austin muralist Raul Valdez.