5.3 - 1205 Cotton St - Preservation Austin Letter — original pdf

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October 2, 2024 RE: 1205 Cotton Street Historic Zoning Dear Chair Heimsath, Vice Chair Featherston, and Members of the Historic Landmark Commission, Preservation Austin exists to empower Austinites to shape a more inclusive, resilient, and meaningful community culture through preservation. We write to you today in support of historic zoning for 1205 Cotton Street for its Architecture, Historic Association, and Community Value. As demolitions in East Austin continue to displace its historic Black communities, 1205 Cotton Street embodies the resilience of Black Austinites in the face of segregation and the contributions of Black women to our city’s civic life. This is an important story of Austin’s racial past that we believe must be preserved. The residence at 1205 Cotton Street is a testament to the incredible life of its longtime owner, Mrs. Effie Esler White Yerwood, an educator and civic leader who served East Austin’s Black community during the Jim Crow era. Mrs. Yerwood and her Husband Edward “Eddie” T. Yerwood, principal at West Austin High School, purchased the property together in 1912. Mrs. Yerwood taught at L.C. Anderson, Austin’s only high school for Black students, from 1917 to 1954, overcoming systemic barriers that denied Black teachers and students opportunities to learn and thrive. Mr. Yerwood passed away in 1917 and Mrs. Yerwood redeveloped the property with the house currently seen today. Constructed between 1923 and 1932, the residence embodies distinguishing characteristics of the Craftsman style typical of this era. In her later years, Mrs. Yerwood displayed remarkable resilience, transforming her property into a source of income by adding an addition to the home and converting it into a rental unit for multiple tenants. A charter member of the Austin Retired Teachers’ Association and a leader in various charitable and civic organizations, Mrs. Yerwood’s influence over the civic life of East Austin extended far beyond the classroom. We ask the Historic Landmark Commission to support historic zoning for 1205 Cotton Street and preserve the story of Mrs. Yerwood’s indomitable spirit for generations to come. We thank you for your consideration and your service to the City of Austin. Sincerely, Melissa Barry, President