Item 5- 1500 E 12th St. Letter_CDC — original pdf

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The Austin Community Development Commission supports the Historic Landmark Commission’s ordinance to designate 1500 E. 12th St. as a City of Austin Historic Landmark. Dear Mayor and Council, From Preservation Austin: “Builtbetween1889and1911,thestoreat1500E.12thSt.tracesthediverseheritageofEastAustin.The building’searlyhistoryreflectstheGermanheritageofAustinandCentralTexas–initiallyconstructed bygrocerandpoliticianChristianJ.Willhem,itwaslateracquiredbyDessaumerchantsErnestand LouisaEisenbeiser,whooperatedaproduceanddrygoodsstore,asaloon,andarestaurantthere. In1950,BlackbusinessmanBufordJohnsonpurchasedthebuilding,transformingitintoacommunity hubforEastAustin’sAfricanAmericanpopulationduringtheJimCrowera.Bythemid-1950s,the buildinghousedtheFifteenHundredBeautyandBarberShops,aswellasClubFifteenHundred,abar andmusicvenue.ItlaterbecamethehomeoftheGammaEtaAlphachapteroftheAlphaPhiAlpha fraternity,theoldestfraternityinAmericatoadmitBlackmembers.Thebuildingisprominently situatedatthecornerofE.12thandComalStreets,directlyacrossfromtheI.Q.Hurdleand Southgate-LewisHouses–bothlandmarksofAustin’sBlackheritage–reflectingthegreaterimportance ofthisintersectiontothestoryofBlackEastAustin.“ This property has been part of the many changes in East Austin and deserves to be preserved and designated a historic landmark for the City of Austin. We urge the Austin City to support the ordinance. -The Austin Community Development Commission