11.0 - Calhoun House nomination letter — original pdf

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September 3, 2025 Historic Landmark Commission Members City of Austin At a time when social and economic conditions are rapidly changing the landscape of East Austin, there comes an opportunity to preserve something historic and meaningful. The Calhoun House under consideration today is one such opportunity. The one-story home is located at 2401 Givens Avenue in East Austin, within the Rogers-Washington-Holy Cross Historic District, east of the Texas Capitol. The Calhoun House was one of the first to be built in this subdivision and it is the anchor of a key intersection. This house has been owned and inhabited by the Calhoun family since its construction for Theodore Calvin (T.C.) and Thelma Calhoun in 1959. The RWHC Historic District is one of the most intact concentrations of post-World War II housing for African Americans in Austin. As an early neighborhood developed by Black professionals for Black professionals, its development pattern is strongly tied to its cultural significance as a professional, middle-class, suburban neighborhood. The Calhoun House embodies the architecture trend and style known as “California ranch.” The ranch form, low slung, traces its root to a West Coast style that goes back nearly 100 years ago, to the 1930s. The home is in excellent condition and retains its original style and serves as a community gathering place in East Austin. Historic Association T.C. and Thelma Calhoun left behind more than their homestead -- they left behind a legacy. They were both committed educators and prominent civic leaders in Austin during the mid-twentieth century, when racial policies hindered the success and prosperity of Black Americans. The Calhouns played pivotal roles in the success and cohesiveness of the RWHC neighborhood, but left their mark on the entire community. T.C. was the second principal of Kealing Junior High, the first junior high in Austin to serve African American students. He was principal there for more than 30 years and retired when desegregation policies closed it in 1971. T.C. was also a deacon and trustee of Ebenezer 3rd Baptist Church, a founder and treasurer of the Austin-Travis County Teachers’ Credit Union, President of the Texas State Teachers’ Association, a president of the Austin Negro Chamber of Commerce and a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity. Thelma Calhoun lived to be 103 years old. She was a graduate of the original L.C. Anderson High School, a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and as part of her decades-long membership at Ebenezer 3rd Baptist Church, she was the founder and long-time director of the Children’s Choir. She began her career in education as a Supervisor for the Negro School District, prior to desegregation in Austin. She later worked as a reading specialist and teacher in the Austin Independent School District. T.C. and Thelma established a tradition of excellence in education and community service that has created an indelible mark on the Austin community. Community value The home’s community value also stems from its role as the site of community service meetings in the early years of the Calhouns’ residence and through the present day. Their daughter, Patricia, continues to enrich the community value of the home through her neighborhood advocacy and work with a local non-profit. We encourage our fellow Commissioners to support this nomination. Signed by Historic Landmark Commission Members: Jamie Alvarez Harrison Eppwright Roxanne Evans Roxanne J Evans (Aug 28, 2025 14:21:27 CDT)Roxanne J EvansJaime Alvarez (Aug 28, 2025 15:32:10 EDT)Jaime Alvarez