Old West Austin Historic District
Encyclopedia
The Old West Austin Historic District is a residential community in Austin
, Texas
, United States
. It is composed of three neighborhoods located on a plateau just west of downtown Austin
: Old Enfield, Pemberton Heights, and Bryker Woods. Developed between 1886 and 1953, the three historic neighborhoods stretch from Mopac Expressway east to Lamar Boulevard, and from 13th Street north to 35th Street. It borders Clarksville Historic District and the West Line Historic District
to the south.
The streetcar had propelled Austin's earlier local suburban development, but Enfield, Pemberton Heights, and Bryker Woods were the city’s first automobile suburbs. As a well-preserved collection of early-to-mid-20th century residences, the historic district evokes the measured spread of suburban development that paralleled the city’s steady growth. The three neighborhoods that together form Old West Austin were added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 2003.
in 1839. The story of the settlement of Old West Austin begins with the oldest and best-known home in the area, Woodlawn
. James B. Shaw, an Irish
immigrant who served as State Comptroller
in Texas Governor Elisha M. Pease
's administration, purchased several hundred acres of land west of Austin in 1846.
Shaw commissioned Austin architect Abner Cook
to build a two-story Greek Revival mansion on his property. The house was finished in 1853, one year before Cook built the Texas Governor's Mansion
. Almost as soon as the building was completed Shaw abandoned the idea of living there because of family tragedies. In 1856, Governor Pease bought Woodlawn, and it remained in his family for nearly fifty years. Woodlawn's adjoining acreage would eventually be sold and subdivided to create the Enfield neighborhood.
Following emancipation
at end of the Civil War, Texas Governor Pease sold and gave some of his plantation land to his freed black slaves. In 1871 this neighboring area came to be known as Clarksville and was legally set apart from the other areas of town specifically for the freed black slaves.
It was called Clarksville because Charles (Griffin) Clark, a land developer with an eye to reselling to the newly freed slaves, purchased a 365 acres (1.5 km²)tract of land from former slaves where he founded the town of Clarksville, less than one-half mile from Woodlawn. Some at the time had hoped Clarksville would develop into a thriving stable community of its own. But by 1900 Clarksvile, had become a standard African-American area commonly known as the colored part of town. At the time what was known as separate but equal, and later simply absorbed into the city of Austin.
Clarksville is geographically part of the Old West Austin area, but it is not part of the Old West Austin Historic District because like most areas of this type, it was nothing more than a collection of run down shacks. Bowing to political pressure from certain groups pushing certain agendas, in 1976 Clarksville was added to National Register of Historic Places
.
Other important West Austin developments during in 1870s included the establishment of the International and Great Northern Railroad, which defines the historic district’s western boundary, and the establishment of Pease Park
, which define the district's eastern boundary. The land was donated to the city by the Pease family. Shoal Creek is the centerpiece of Pease Park. The waterway attracted recreational use as early as the mid-nineteenth century.
architect Abner Cook
.
Additionally, Old Enfield encompasses several additions platted between 1914 and 1948. Two later additions were platted on the west side of the historic district after 1948. The plan for Old Enfield is largely intact incorporating several small island parks along curvilinear streets at the edge of Pease Park.
, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence
. S.W. Fisher, president of the Austin Development Company, also became an owner and ultimately developed the land. The subdivision was named after James Pemberton (1723-1809), an ancestor of the Fischer family who received notoriety because of his political views during the days of the American colonies. The Fisher family went on to inherit the farm and would establish the Austin Land Company. In 1927, the company built a bridge across Shoal Creek and began development.
Between 1927 to the early 1940s, Pemberton Heights was developed in 12 sections. Pemberton Heights is primarily one to two story single-family residences and not as many duplexes as the other neighborhoods. It has, on average, the largest houses and most spacious lots in the Old West Austin Historic District.
Over 25 structures in Pemberton Heights have been designated as Austin Historic Landmarks by the City Council including the Windsor Road Bridge, which was built in 1928. It's importance stems not only from its architectural merit, but also because prior to its construction, Pemberton Heights and other Old West Austin area residents could only access downtown by crossing Shoal Creek on the State Street Bridge, which is now a pedestrian bridge adjacent to the 34th Street Bridge.
By the late 1990s, the State of Texas began exploring improvement and expansion of Mopac Expressway. By 2000, Bryker Woods, Pemberton Heights, Old Enfield, and Old West Austin neighborhoods organized because of concerns over the potential expansion of Loop 1, which they believed would result in the demolition of as many as 80 houses. In 2003, they were successful in establishing the Old West Austin Historic District. One significant aspect of this historic designation is that federal law requires additional studies, review, and approval if using federal dollars on a project that could result in the demolition of properties in the district, which adds significant time and cost to the project. As federal dollars are needed for the expansion of Loop 1, this designation prevented the expansion of Loop 1 beyond its current right-of-way within these neighborhoods.
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is composed of three neighborhoods located on a plateau just west of downtown Austin
Downtown Austin
Downtown Austin is the central business district of Austin, Texas. Downtown is located on the north bank of the Colorado River. The approximate borders of Downtown include Lamar Boulevard to the west, 11th Street and sometimes Martin Luther King, Jr...
: Old Enfield, Pemberton Heights, and Bryker Woods. Developed between 1886 and 1953, the three historic neighborhoods stretch from Mopac Expressway east to Lamar Boulevard, and from 13th Street north to 35th Street. It borders Clarksville Historic District and the West Line Historic District
West Line Historic District (Austin, Texas)
The West Line Historic District is a residential community in central Austin, Texas, United States. The district encompasses an approximately 90-block tract of land located west of downtown. Bounded by Baylor Street to the east, Fifth Street to the south, Thirteenth Street to the north and Texas...
to the south.
The streetcar had propelled Austin's earlier local suburban development, but Enfield, Pemberton Heights, and Bryker Woods were the city’s first automobile suburbs. As a well-preserved collection of early-to-mid-20th century residences, the historic district evokes the measured spread of suburban development that paralleled the city’s steady growth. The three neighborhoods that together form Old West Austin were added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2003.
Settlement of Old West Austin
For much of the 19th century, Shoal Creek and West Avenue defined the western edge of the city. Austin was planned on a 640-acre site on a bluff above the Colorado River, nestled between Shoal Creek (West Avenue) to the west and Waller Creek (East Avenue) to the east Edwin WallerEdwin Waller
Judge Edwin Waller was an entrepreneur, signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence, the first mayor of Austin, Texas, and the designer of its downtown grid plan....
in 1839. The story of the settlement of Old West Austin begins with the oldest and best-known home in the area, Woodlawn
Woodlawn (Austin, Texas)
Woodlawn, also known as the Pease Mansion as well as Governor Shiver's Mansion, is a pre-Civil War mansion located at 30.2871° -97.7581° in Austin, Texas. The Greek Revival style house was owned by two Texas governors. Some notable people that have visited the mansion include Sam Houston, General...
. James B. Shaw, an Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
immigrant who served as State Comptroller
State Comptroller
The power of the Knesset to supervise and review government policies and operations is exercised mainly through the state comptroller . The incumbent is completely independent of the government and answers to the Knesset alone.- Duties :...
in Texas Governor Elisha M. Pease
Elisha M. Pease
Elisha Marshall Pease was a U.S. politician from the 1830s through the 1870s. He served as the fifth and 13th Governor of Texas .A native of Enfield, Connecticut, Pease moved to Mexican Texas in 1835...
's administration, purchased several hundred acres of land west of Austin in 1846.
Shaw commissioned Austin architect Abner Cook
Abner Cook
Abner Hugh Cook was a self-taught Texas architect and general contractor responsible for the design of several historic and notable buildings in Texas, particularly Austin, such as the Texas Governor's Mansion...
to build a two-story Greek Revival mansion on his property. The house was finished in 1853, one year before Cook built the Texas Governor's Mansion
Texas Governor's Mansion
The Texas Governor's Mansion, also known simply as Governor's Mansion is a historic home for the Governor of Texas in downtown Austin, Texas...
. Almost as soon as the building was completed Shaw abandoned the idea of living there because of family tragedies. In 1856, Governor Pease bought Woodlawn, and it remained in his family for nearly fifty years. Woodlawn's adjoining acreage would eventually be sold and subdivided to create the Enfield neighborhood.
Following emancipation
Emancipation
Emancipation means the act of setting an individual or social group free or making equal to citizens in a political society.Emancipation may also refer to:* Emancipation , a champion Australian thoroughbred racehorse foaled in 1979...
at end of the Civil War, Texas Governor Pease sold and gave some of his plantation land to his freed black slaves. In 1871 this neighboring area came to be known as Clarksville and was legally set apart from the other areas of town specifically for the freed black slaves.
It was called Clarksville because Charles (Griffin) Clark, a land developer with an eye to reselling to the newly freed slaves, purchased a 365 acres (1.5 km²)tract of land from former slaves where he founded the town of Clarksville, less than one-half mile from Woodlawn. Some at the time had hoped Clarksville would develop into a thriving stable community of its own. But by 1900 Clarksvile, had become a standard African-American area commonly known as the colored part of town. At the time what was known as separate but equal, and later simply absorbed into the city of Austin.
Clarksville is geographically part of the Old West Austin area, but it is not part of the Old West Austin Historic District because like most areas of this type, it was nothing more than a collection of run down shacks. Bowing to political pressure from certain groups pushing certain agendas, in 1976 Clarksville was added to National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Other important West Austin developments during in 1870s included the establishment of the International and Great Northern Railroad, which defines the historic district’s western boundary, and the establishment of Pease Park
Pease Park
Pease Park is a public park in central Austin, Texas.Open from early morning until 10:00 PM, the park is frequented by University of Texas at Austin students and disc golf enthusiasts. Every spring, it plays host to the annual Eeyore's Birthday Party celebration, a favorite event for Austin's...
, which define the district's eastern boundary. The land was donated to the city by the Pease family. Shoal Creek is the centerpiece of Pease Park. The waterway attracted recreational use as early as the mid-nineteenth century.
Old Enfield
The oldest and southernmost neighborhood in the historic district is Old Enfield. Its approximate boundaries are Windsor Road on the north, Pease Park on the east, 13th Street to the south, and the Mo-Pac Expressway on the west. Originally part of the Pease family’s plantation just west of Austin, the neighborhood was subdivided in 1910 by the Enfield Realty and Home Building Company. Old Enfield is home to many of the oldest colonial style-homes in Austin, including Woodlawn which was built by Texas Governor's MansionTexas Governor's Mansion
The Texas Governor's Mansion, also known simply as Governor's Mansion is a historic home for the Governor of Texas in downtown Austin, Texas...
architect Abner Cook
Abner Cook
Abner Hugh Cook was a self-taught Texas architect and general contractor responsible for the design of several historic and notable buildings in Texas, particularly Austin, such as the Texas Governor's Mansion...
.
Additionally, Old Enfield encompasses several additions platted between 1914 and 1948. Two later additions were platted on the west side of the historic district after 1948. The plan for Old Enfield is largely intact incorporating several small island parks along curvilinear streets at the edge of Pease Park.
Pemberton Heights
Due north of Old Enfield is the suburb of Pemberton Heights. The area that would become Pemberton Heights was acquired in 1858 by Judge John Harris, who was the attorney general for Governor Pease and husband of the daughter of Samuel Rhoads FisherSamuel Rhoads Fisher
Samuel Rhoads Fisher was the secretary of the Navy of the Republic of Texas.He was born in Pennsylvania on December 31, 1794 and settled in Texas in 1830 with his wife and four children as a member of Austin's Third Colony. He represented Matagorda Municipality in the Convention of 1836 at...
, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence
Texas Declaration of Independence
The Texas Declaration of Independence was the formal declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico in the Texas Revolution. It was adopted at the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836, and formally signed the following day after errors were noted in the...
. S.W. Fisher, president of the Austin Development Company, also became an owner and ultimately developed the land. The subdivision was named after James Pemberton (1723-1809), an ancestor of the Fischer family who received notoriety because of his political views during the days of the American colonies. The Fisher family went on to inherit the farm and would establish the Austin Land Company. In 1927, the company built a bridge across Shoal Creek and began development.
Between 1927 to the early 1940s, Pemberton Heights was developed in 12 sections. Pemberton Heights is primarily one to two story single-family residences and not as many duplexes as the other neighborhoods. It has, on average, the largest houses and most spacious lots in the Old West Austin Historic District.
Over 25 structures in Pemberton Heights have been designated as Austin Historic Landmarks by the City Council including the Windsor Road Bridge, which was built in 1928. It's importance stems not only from its architectural merit, but also because prior to its construction, Pemberton Heights and other Old West Austin area residents could only access downtown by crossing Shoal Creek on the State Street Bridge, which is now a pedestrian bridge adjacent to the 34th Street Bridge.
Bryker Woods
Bryker Woods is the northernmost suburb of the Old West Austin Historic District. The suburb encompasses several parcels of land that were platted between 1886 and 1951. Bryker Woods experience intense development between 1936 and 1940.By the late 1990s, the State of Texas began exploring improvement and expansion of Mopac Expressway. By 2000, Bryker Woods, Pemberton Heights, Old Enfield, and Old West Austin neighborhoods organized because of concerns over the potential expansion of Loop 1, which they believed would result in the demolition of as many as 80 houses. In 2003, they were successful in establishing the Old West Austin Historic District. One significant aspect of this historic designation is that federal law requires additional studies, review, and approval if using federal dollars on a project that could result in the demolition of properties in the district, which adds significant time and cost to the project. As federal dollars are needed for the expansion of Loop 1, this designation prevented the expansion of Loop 1 beyond its current right-of-way within these neighborhoods.
Description and significance
The area is noted for approximately 1,574 historically significant properties within its borders.List of significant properties
Several properties and sites in the Old West Austin Historic District have been designated as historic Austin landmarks by the city:- Fisher-Gideon House (Pemberton Castle), 1415 Wooldridge
- Judge Robert Lynn Batts HouseJudge Robert Lynn Batts HouseThe Judge Robert Lynn Batts House is a historic home in central Austin, Texas. It was built in 1924–1925 for Judge Robert Lynn Batts and his family...
- Cruchon Home, 1200 Windsor