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You are here: Home / News / Austin’s Travis Heights Neighborhood Headed For National Historic Status
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Austin’s Travis Heights Neighborhood Headed For National Historic Status

James Rambin October 1, 2020 Comment

The 1890 Lewis-Thomas House in Travis Heights is an example of the Folk Victorian style. Image: Texas Historical Commission

The Travis Heights neighborhood of South Austin, one of the city’s more notable concentrations of historic domestic architecture, could attain its long-sought admission to the National Register of Historic Places by next year. The Texas Historical Commission’s State Board of Review unanimously approved the 353-acre district’s nomination to the federal register at a meeting last month, so the only step left is the verification of the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) before the nomination is sent off to the National Park Service — a process the state says should take only a few months before the district’s listing appears in the National Register.

Image: Texas Historical Commission

The area nominated for recognition by neighborhood residents, who first formed a committee to determine the district’s historic eligibility back in 2004, will technically be called the Travis Heights – Fairview Park Historic District. This region is bound by Edgecliff Terrace (just north of East Riverside Drive and home to the Norwood Estate) to the north, East Live Oak Street to the south, I-35 to the east, and South Congress Avenue to the west. According to the nomination draft document approved by the State Board of Review, this defined district contains a total of 1,273 buildings, with 838 of those considered as contributing to the neighborhood’s historic merit.

A full-page advertisement for the Travis Heights neighborhood in a 1913 edition of the Austin Daily Statesman. As you may have already noticed, the ad explicitly states that this neighborhood is intended for white people. Image: Austin History Center

The area now called Travis Heights by the majority of Austinites is actually a collection of three neighborhoods developed over time, starting with the section known as Swisher’s Addition which was first platted in 1877, then Fairview Park platted in 1886, and finally Travis Heights platted in 1913.

On the left, a view of the Dumble-Boatright House in Travis Heights, built in 1900 as an example of the “free classic” style of Queen Anne architecture. On the right, a map of the proposed national historic district, with its boundaries outlined in red and contributing buildings highlighted in black. Images: Texas Historical Commission

Many of the region’s grandest homes were built prior to 1930, but the nomination states development of merit took place here between the 1870s and 1970s, meaning a century’s worth of design history is reflected in the area’s residential architecture — from elaborate Queen Anne and Victorian mansions all the way to postwar ranch-style homes and other contemporary styles.

A triplex multifamily home in Travis Heights, built in a Tudor Revival style. Image: Texas Historical Commission

The great majority of historic domestic resources in the Travis Heights-Fairview Park Historic District are single- or multi-family residences dating as early as the late 1870s through the historic period, ending in 1970. The general domestic property types of the district exhibit considerable variety in diverse plan types and architectural styles from nearly a century of development in the period of significance, 1877 to 1970. Virtually all of the major architectural styles and residential plan types that were popular during that time — not just in Austin, but in the entire country — are represented in the Travis Heights-Fairview Park Historic District. 
— National Register of Historic Places Draft Nomination

Several early Craftsman-style bungalows on East Milton Street in Travis Heights. Image: Texas Historical Commission

The neighborhood’s two major parks — Big Stacy and Little Stacy, both named for one of the area’s original developers William H. Stacy — follow the Blunn Creek Greenbelt on its path downhill through the center of the district north to Lady Bird Lake. These three features are really just components of one large continuous green space, and all three are named in the nomination document since they contain WPA-funded public works improvements from the New Deal era including hiking trails, benches, and the spring-fed Big Stacy Pool, to name only a few. One of this area’s most notable structures is a 1930s Mission Revival-style shelter designed by famed local architect Hugo Kuehne, which still stands at Little Stacy Park:

On the top left, a view of the Hugo Kuehne-designed shelter structure at Little Stacy park in 1938. On the bottom left, a photo of the kiddie pool at Little Stacy Park, also taken around the 1930s. On the right, a present-day view of the Kuehne structure at Little Stacy Park. Images: Texas Historical Commission / Austin History Center

It’s worth pointing out that National Register inclusion doesn’t prevent demolition or modification of the historic structures in the district, but provides what the Texas Historical Commission calls “formal documentation and recognition” of the area’s significance to state history at the federal level, along with certain tax abatements for qualifying properties conducting rehabilitation work. Still, it’s a major achievement for advocates of the neighborhood — they’ve been working towards this for 16 years.

Travis Heights homes for sale

  • $1,300,000 508 Lockhart Drive
    Austin, TX
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    Austin, TX
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    Austin, TX
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    Austin, TX
  • $395,000 2302 East Side Drive #11
    Austin, TX
  • $1,285,000 1009 E Riverside Drive #B
    Austin, TX
  • $1,195,000 1118 Algarita Avenue #2
    Austin, TX
  • $330,000 2215 POST Road #2067
    Austin, TX
  • $1,200,000 1806 Brackenridge Street
    Austin, TX
508 Lockhart Drive
Austin, TX
Photo of 508  Lockhart Drive, Austin, TX 78704 (MLS # 8833150)
$1,300,000
Lot Size
5,881 sqft

Home Size
1,184 sqft

Beds
3 Beds

Baths
3 Baths

1120 Gillespie Place #2
Austin, TX
Photo of 1120  Gillespie Place #2, Austin, TX 78704 (MLS # 9580488)
$635,000
Lot Size
4,095 sqft

Home Size
925 sqft

Beds
2 Beds

Baths
1 Bath

2215 Post Road #2059
Austin, TX
Photo of 2215  Post Road #2059, Austin, TX 78704 (MLS # 8620315)
$339,000
Lot Size
1,525 sqft

Home Size
610 sqft

Beds
1 Bed

Baths
2 Baths

500 E Live Oak Street
Austin, TX
Photo of 500 E Live Oak Street, Austin, TX 78704 (MLS # 8661828)
$1,225,000
Lot Size
7,009 sqft

Home Size
1,300 sqft

Beds
3 Beds

Baths
2 Baths

2302 East Side Drive #11
Austin, TX
Photo of 2302  East Side Drive #11, Austin, TX 78704 (MLS # 6177756)
$395,000
Lot Size
1,486 sqft

Home Size
964 sqft

Beds
2 Beds

Baths
2 Baths

1009 E Riverside Drive #B
Austin, TX
Photo of 1009 E Riverside Drive #B, Austin, TX 78704 (MLS # 9235307)
$1,285,000
Lot Size
7,101 sqft

Home Size
2,364 sqft

Beds
3 Beds

Baths
3 Baths

1118 Algarita Avenue #2
Austin, TX
Photo of 1118  Algarita Avenue #2, Austin, TX 78704 (MLS # 9483246)
$1,195,000
Lot Size
10,019 sqft

Home Size
1,792 sqft

Beds
3 Beds

Baths
3 Baths

2215 POST Road #2067
Austin, TX
Photo of 2215  POST Road #2067, Austin, TX 78704 (MLS # 9195882)
$330,000
Lot Size
N/A

Home Size
610 sqft

Beds
1 Bed

Baths
1 Bath

1806 Brackenridge Street
Austin, TX
Photo of 1806  Brackenridge Street, Austin, TX 78704 (MLS # 9994928)
$1,200,000
Lot Size
7,197 sqft

Home Size
1,254 sqft

Beds
3 Beds

Baths
2 Baths

  • 508 Lockhart Drive
    Austin, TX
    Photo of 508  Lockhart Drive, Austin, TX 78704 (MLS # 8833150)
    $1,300,000
    Lot Size
    5,881 sqft

    Home Size
    1,184 sqft

    Beds
    3 Beds

    Baths
    3 Baths

  • 1120 Gillespie Place #2
    Austin, TX
    Photo of 1120  Gillespie Place #2, Austin, TX 78704 (MLS # 9580488)
    $635,000
    Lot Size
    4,095 sqft

    Home Size
    925 sqft

    Beds
    2 Beds

    Baths
    1 Bath

  • 2215 Post Road #2059
    Austin, TX
    Photo of 2215  Post Road #2059, Austin, TX 78704 (MLS # 8620315)
    $339,000
    Lot Size
    1,525 sqft

    Home Size
    610 sqft

    Beds
    1 Bed

    Baths
    2 Baths

  • 500 E Live Oak Street
    Austin, TX
    Photo of 500 E Live Oak Street, Austin, TX 78704 (MLS # 8661828)
    $1,225,000
    Lot Size
    7,009 sqft

    Home Size
    1,300 sqft

    Beds
    3 Beds

    Baths
    2 Baths

  • 2302 East Side Drive #11
    Austin, TX
    Photo of 2302  East Side Drive #11, Austin, TX 78704 (MLS # 6177756)
    $395,000
    Lot Size
    1,486 sqft

    Home Size
    964 sqft

    Beds
    2 Beds

    Baths
    2 Baths

  • 1009 E Riverside Drive #B
    Austin, TX
    Photo of 1009 E Riverside Drive #B, Austin, TX 78704 (MLS # 9235307)
    $1,285,000
    Lot Size
    7,101 sqft

    Home Size
    2,364 sqft

    Beds
    3 Beds

    Baths
    3 Baths

  • 1118 Algarita Avenue #2
    Austin, TX
    Photo of 1118  Algarita Avenue #2, Austin, TX 78704 (MLS # 9483246)
    $1,195,000
    Lot Size
    10,019 sqft

    Home Size
    1,792 sqft

    Beds
    3 Beds

    Baths
    3 Baths

  • 2215 POST Road #2067
    Austin, TX
    Photo of 2215  POST Road #2067, Austin, TX 78704 (MLS # 9195882)
    $330,000
    Lot Size
    N/A

    Home Size
    610 sqft

    Beds
    1 Bed

    Baths
    1 Bath

  • 1806 Brackenridge Street
    Austin, TX
    Photo of 1806  Brackenridge Street, Austin, TX 78704 (MLS # 9994928)
    $1,200,000
    Lot Size
    7,197 sqft

    Home Size
    1,254 sqft

    Beds
    3 Beds

    Baths
    2 Baths

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Filed Under: News Tagged With: 78704, architecture, city life, historic preservation, history, neighborhoods

About James Rambin

James is an Austin native, but tries not to brag about it. Email him anything at james@towers.net.

625 Tillery Street #B
Austin, TX
Photo of 625  Tillery Street #B, Austin, TX 78702 (MLS # 7291431)
$999,625
17
  • Lot Size
    2,178 sqft

  • Home Size
    1,800 sqft

  • Beds
    3 Beds

  • Baths
    3 Baths

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