02.2 - 1300-1308 Springdale Rd - Bethany Cemetery - Sponsorship and support letters — original pdf

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Kalan Contreras Historic Preservation Office City of Austin October 15, 2025 Subject: Request to consider initiation of historic zoning, Bethany Cemetery (1300 Springdale Rd) Dear Ms. Contreras: We would like to include the Bethany Cemetery, located at 1300 Springdale Road, on the Historic Landmark Commission’s November agenda for consideration of initiation of historic zoning. The owner, the Bethany Cemetery Association, fully supports this request. Bethany Cemetery is a six- acre, private burial ground located in East Austin. The Bethany Cemetery Company was formed in 1893 in response to the needs of the African American community. Bethany Cemetery is considered Austin’s first black cemetery.1 The Cemetery contains graves on site as early as 1871 and is strategically situated along El Camino Real de los Tejas, a 17th/18th- Century Native American and Spanish Colonial trade route. Hundreds of Austinites are buried at Bethany Cemetery, many of which have dedicated their lives to the betterment of African Americans throughout the region. Dozens are associated with local Black churches, benevolent societies, trade unions, lodges, businesses, war veterans, and tragic events such as the Waller and Shoal Creeks Flood of 1915. Bethany Cemetery is a reminder of the development of Austin’s African American Community from the time of slavery and the Civil War through the present. The impact of the site and its interred are felt citywide to this day, as likely remnants of the Camino Real are intact, and Bethany Cemetery Association maintains an active curriculum program for public schools. The Cemetery’s strong community value, historical associations, archeology, and landscape features, more than fulfill the criteria for local landmark designation. Thank you for your consideration and feel free to reach out regarding any questions or concerns. Thank you, Roxanne Evans Roxanne Evans Historic Landmark Commissioner and Vice Chair, District 2 BC-Roxanne.Evans@AustinTexas.gov Motioned By: Commissioner Evans Kevin Koch, AIA Historic Landmark Commissioner, District 3 BC-Kevin.Koch@AustinTexas.gov Seconded By: Commissioner Koch 1 Austin’s first public cemetery, Oakwood Cemetery, allowed a designated corner for “colored” Austinites in 1856, and the nearby Plummers Cemetery was established around 1898 (another private African American rural cemetery later purchased by the City of Austin). Evergreen Cemetery, established in 1926 to serve Austin’s African American Community contains the historic Highland Park Cemetery. Highland Park Cemetery was established in 1891 and reportedly served all races from 1891-1893. Oakwood Cemetery was established by the state in 1839 and later transferred to the City of Austin in 1856. Approximately 1,211 people were buried in the “colored” section of Oakwood Cemetery between 1859-1880. Source: Save Austin’s Cemeteries, Historic Cemeteries Master Plan, 2015 Sam Fahnestock Historic Preservation Office City of Austin June 27, 2024 Subject: Request to consider initiation of historic zoning, Bethany Cemetery (1300 Springdale Rd) Dear Mr. Fahnestock, We would like to include the Bethany Cemetery, located at 1300 Springdale Road, on the Historic Landmark Commission’s July agenda for consideration of initiation of historic zoning. The owner, the Bethany Cemetery Association, fully supports this request. Bethany Cemetery is a six-acre, private burial ground located in East Austin. The Bethany Cemetery Company was formed in 1893 in response to the needs of the African American community. Bethany Cemetery is considered Austin’s first black cemetery.1 The Cemetery contains graves on site as early as 1871 and is strategically situated along El Camino Real de los Tejas, a 17th/18th- Century Native American and Spanish Colonial trade route. Hundreds of Austinites are buried at Bethany Cemetery, many of which have dedicated their lives to the betterment of African Americans throughout the region. Dozens are associated with local Black churches, benevolent societies, trade unions, lodges, businesses, war veterans, and tragic events such as the Waller and Shoal Creeks Flood of 1915. Bethany Cemetery is a reminder of the development of Austin’s African American Community from the time of slavery and the Civil War through the present. The impact of the site and its interred are felt citywide to this day, as likely remnants of the Camino Real are intact, and Bethany Cemetery Association maintains an active curriculum program for public schools. The Cemetery’s strong community value, historical associations, archeology, and landscape features, more than fulfill the criteria for local landmark designation. Thank you for your consideration and feel free to reach out regarding any questions or concerns. Thank you, JuanRaymon Rubio, Associate AIA Historic Landmark Commissioner, District 2 Kevin Koch, AIA Historic Landmark Commissioner, District 3 BC-JuanRaymon.Rubio@AustinTexas.gov Motioned By: Commissioner Rubio BC-Kevin.Koch@AustinTexas.gov Seconded By: Commissioner Koch 1 Austin’s first public cemetery, Oakwood Cemetery, allowed a designated corner for “colored” Austinites in 1856, and the nearby Plummers Cemetery was established around 1898 (another private African American rural cemetery later purchased by the City of Austin). Evergreen Cemetery, established in 1926 to serve Austin’s African American Community contains the historic Highland Park Cemetery. Highland Park Cemetery was established in 1891 and reportedly served all races from 1891-1893. Oakwood Cemetery was established by the state in 1839 and later transferred to the City of Astin in 1856. Approximately 1,211 people were buried in the “colored” section of Oakwood Cemetery between 1859-1880. Source: Save Austin’s Cemeteries, Historic Cemeteries Master Plan, 2015 June 17, 2024 Subject: Bethany Cemetery Historic Designation To: Austin Historic Landmark Commission It has come to our attention that the Bethany Cemetery Association is applying for a city historic designation. Bethany Cemetery is an historic African American Cemetery purchased and developed by John Holland and William Tears in 1893. It contains the burials of many notable persons and has, for the past years, been overlooked and neglected. There is currently concern that development next door to the cemetery may bring unwanted use and potential damage to the site. The Travis County Historical Commission commends Sue Spears and the members of the Bethany Cemetery Association (BCA) in their efforts to protect and document the deep history of the cemetery and help educate the public about the lives of the important people buried there. We believe that a city historic designation will help provide a layer of recognition and protection to this valuable resource. African American historical research and tourism is quickly gathering importance as the community actively seeks information about lost relatives and the lives of people buried in traditional African American cemeteries. For too many years, much of the needed information has been lacking, and it is only recently that these histories have been available to the general public. There has been a strong uptick in interest from the public and preservation organizations (such as our commission) are now regularly contacted about such data. We feel that a City of Austin Historic Designation for Bethany will serve the community and foster African American Heritage Tourism in Austin. We ask that the City of Austin Historic Landmark Commission carefully review and accept the application of the Bethany Cemetery Association for a city designation in its efforts to protect, document and educate the public about this important historical and cultural site. If we can provide any further assistance, please let us know. Respectfully, James Robert “Bob” Ward Chair Travis County Historical Commission Board of Directors Adam Adams Tom Byrd Joyce Conner William Doolittle Miguel Ángel Fernández de Mazarambroz John Kisalus Bob Perkins Dave Regan Jesús Treviño Bob Ward Executive Director Steven Gonzales Contact P.O. Box 41286 Austin, Texas 78704 P: 512-850-9073 F: 512-451-3110 June 25, 2024 Subject: Bethany Cemetery Historic Designation To the Austin Historic Landmark Commission, The Bethany Cemetery is one of the oldest African American Cemeteries in Austin. Established by John Holland, William Tears, Henderson Rollins and Allen Bradley in 1893, the cemetery has served the community since that time as the resting place for members of the Austin African American population. Before the creation of the cemetery, a section of the El Camino Real ran through the grounds and traces are still visible on the landscape. The El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail Association supports the efforts of the Bethany Cemetery Association in obtaining a local landmark designation for the tract. We feel that the presence of the trail serves to remind us of the historical interconnectedness that links us all together. Recognition from the City of Austin and your commission will help further the narrative of both the cemetery and the trail. Please let us know how we can further this effort and if we can be of additional service, please do not hesitate to contact us. Thank you, Bob Ward Public Relations Committee www.elcaminotrail.org July 1, 2024 City of Austin Historic Preservation Office and Historic Landmark Commission Members: It is with great enthusiasm that I join Commissioner Rubio in an initiative to grant historic zoning designation to the Bethany Cemetery in East Austin. I have, off and on over the past few years, had the occasion to support the Bethany Cemetery Association. The fact that the association has been a good steward of this land as well as working hard to preserve its impressive history, allows us to have this conversation today. I look forward to a full discussion on the preservation of this cemetery and its history and look forward to hearing how I can be a part of making this initiative a success. Sincerely, Roxanne J. Evans Commissioner Roxanne J. Evans July 2, 2024 RE: Bethany Cemetery Historic Landmark 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 today in support of designating Betheny Cemetery as a City of Austin Landmark for its Historic Associations, Community Value, Archeology, and Landscape Features. We commend Sue Spears and the Betheny Cemetery Association for their tenacious advocacy in preserving and celebrating this incredibly significant site of Austin’s Black heritage. Betheny Cemetery was formally established in 1893, though burials at the site date to as early as 1879. The first Black cemetery in Austin, Betheny opened after Oakwood Cemetery ran out of room for Black graves in its small, segregated section. The Bethany Cemetery Company, formed in 1893 by William Holland, Henderson Rollins, Allen Bradley, and William M. Tears, maintained the site until 1933. Bethany Cemetery is the final resting place for hundreds of Black Austinites, including graves of formerly enslaved individuals. Betheny Cemetery tells the story of Austin’s Black community, from slavery and Jim Crow to the present-day advocacy and education efforts of the Betheny Cemetery Association. In alignment with our Underrepresented Heritage Advocacy Priority, we commend the Historic Landmark Commission for taking the initiative to protect one of Austin’s most significant sites of Black heritage. We wholeheartedly support the designation of Betheny Cemetery as a City of Austin Landmark. Thank you for your consideration and your service to our city. Sincerely, Melissa Barry, President