Clarksville Historic District (Austin, Texas)

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Coordinates: 30°16′51″N 97°45′44″W / 30.28083°N 97.76222°W / 30.28083; -97.76222
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Clarksville, Austin, Texas
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Clarksville Historic District
Late Victorian
NRHP reference No.76002070[1]
Added to NRHPDecember 1, 1976

The Clarksville Historic District in Austin, Texas, is an area located west of downtown Austin near Lady Bird Lake and just northeast of the intersection of the Missouri Pacific Railroad and West Tenth Street. Many historic homes and structures are located within the Clarksville Historic District. While Clarksville is geographically part of the Old West Austin Historic District, it is distinct from the two historic neighborhoods of Old Enfield, which lies immediately to the north on the eastern side of Texas State Highway Loop 1 (commonly referred to as Mopac), and Tarrytown, which is situated to the west and northwest on the western side of Mopac.

Founded by

African-American slaves ‒ west of the Mississippi River. The historic district was inducted into the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 in recognition of its unique and valuable history.[2]

History

The area was originally part of a 365-acre (148 ha) tract of land belonging to

International-Great Northern Railroad
laid tracks nearby in the 1870s. The Sweet Home Baptist Church, a cornerstone of the community to this day, was founded prior to 1882, and a school existed as early as the 1890s.

At least six communities of emancipated slaves existed around Austin, including

Reverend Jacob Fontaine), Pleasant Hill, and Clarksville.[3]

However, early in the twentieth century developers began to realize the land value of Clarksville, which lay near growing

Jim Crow and recommended "that all the facilities and conveniences be provided the Negroes in this district, as an incentive to draw the Negro population to this area." Most Clarksville residents endured the lack of services, however, and refused to move.[4]
In 1968 Clarksville residents unsuccessfully protested a state and local plan to build a highway along the Missouri Pacific Railroad, which extended along the western boundary of Clarksville. The completed Mopac Expressway sliced through the community, forcing 33 families to leave.

Despite pressure to move to segregated east Austin, Clarksville retained its African-American identity throughout the 20th century. Residents of Clarksville began requesting Austin city funds for the improvement and preservation in 1964, but dirt streets crossed the area until 1975, and a creek carrying sewage periodically flooded homes. However, in 1975 the

Interstate 35 and the MoPac Expressway. Later in the 1970s, as rising land values drove lower-income residents out of the area, the Clarksville Community Development Corporation was established to provide low-income options to preserve the community's character. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.[2]

Clarksville today

Many European immigrants settled in Clarksville throughout the early 1900s, building a community still felt today. Anthony Colanetta settled in Clarksville and opened Anthony's Laundry & Cleaners at the corner of West 12th Street and West Lynn in 1950. Colanetta also built a drugstore that he leased to his friend Hylton Nau. Today both stores are still operating, and the

Whole Foods, then called Clarksville Natural Grocery.[5]

References

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ^ a b Thompson, Nolan. "Clarksville, YX (Travis County)". Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved January 2, 2011.
  3. ^ Clark-Madison, Mike (October 20, 1995). "The Clarksville Effect". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved January 2, 2011.
  4. ISBN 0-917968-17-4
    .
  5. ^ Gray, Ki (February 13, 2008). "A History Austin's Oldest Neighborhood Clarksville". American Chronicle. Retrieved January 2, 2011.

External links

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