The African American Cultural Heritage District in Austin, TX, stands as a powerful reminder of the rich history, culture, and contributions of the African American community to the city.
Walking through the district, visitors are met with a tapestry of cultural landmarks, historical sites, and vibrant public art that tell the story of African American life in Austin.
Six Square Cultural District Sign
The Heart of the District: The African American Cultural & Heritage Facility (AACHF)
The African American Cultural & Heritage Facility (AACHF) plays an integral role in the City of Austin’s long-term commitment to protecting and enhancing the quality of life for African Americans. The facility aims to nurture and preserve the artistic legacy of the African American Culture and Heritage District. Come be a part of our thriving community!
Today the completed center is home to Austin's Office of Arts and Cultural resources, the Greater Austin Black Chamber of Commerce, and the Dedrick Hamilton House Visitors Center.
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Dedrick-Hamilton House: A Symbol of Resilience
The AACHF houses the historical Dedrick Hamilton House. The home was built circa 1880 in one of the earliest African American communities in East Austin. The African American Cultural and Heritage Facility is housed in the historic Dedrick-Hamilton House, once owned by one of the first freedmen in Travis County, Thomas Dedrick.
It may have been Thomas Dedrick, a former slave, who built the little yellow house in the Robertson Hill neighborhood on 11th Street in 1180. In 1893, city records show his son, William, living there, and the house remained in the family through five generations.
L.C. Thomas Dedrick, a formerly enslaved person, bought this property on Robertson’s Hill in 1878. His son, William, built the Dedrick-Hamilton House around 1892. The Dedricks were some of the first emancipated people to move to Austin and settle in the neighborhood just east of downtown, now known as Six Square (named for the six square miles that the segregationist Austin City Plan of 1928 designated for Black residents).
In 2003, the city declared the property a “slum” and used HUD funds and eminent domain to acquire the house from its heirs, including writer and activist Darwin Hamilton. Because of its history in the community, the house was selected for preservation as part of the new African American Cultural and Heritage Facility.
“We thought there was a better way to honor the house,” he says. “When you get this much square footage on the site as an addition, [the house] becomes almost an afterthought. The approach is to stand as much away from it as possible, let it breathe and be a historic jewel, not try to mimic it in some Disney World way.”
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Working with historic preservation expert Tere O’Connell, AIA, the team decided which parts of the house would be rebuilt from new materials, which would be restored, and which-like the caved-in front porch built well after the rest of the house-could be removed altogether. They also had to build a foundation, which the house had not had before, and which required bracing the home’s crumbling walls, loading it onto girders, and taking it on a very delicate 50-foot journey.
The external materials of the historic home were preserved while, inside, new walls and storm windows were added to improve efficiency. The new community building to the west responds to the existing historical home with a brick facade reminiscent of the commercial buildings historically seen in Austin and the Six Square area.
The design team chose to honor the original house by setting the new addition away from it as much as possible. Crisp details and steel and wood awnings modernize this vernacular-inspired storefront, which looks into the dance studio. Insulated windows provide daylighting and courtyard views, while wooden slats high along the porches surrounding the courtyard create a shady reprieve from the Texas summer heat.
Across the courtyard from the Dedrick-Hamilton house is Reflections, a mosaic of ceramic and glass funded by the Art in Public Places program. Houston artist Reginald C. Adams collaborated with the community, including local students, in a series of workshops to design and install the mosaic, which depicts William Dedrick and Texas state legislator Wilhelmina Delco, among other important people and places of Austin’s African American community.
On the east side of the compound, a solid concrete wall encloses the stairs down to the parking area. Don’t miss the mural. Entitled Portraits of Our History, the painting by Ryan Runcie depicts Dedrick Hamilton, Austin musician Gary Clark Jr., and other notable Black Austinites.
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The restored historic house is now an African American Visitors Center and Art Studio. The fully restored historic house, built around 1880, now serves as an African American Visitors Center and retail shop.
Through our events and programs at the AACHF, we foster conversation, engagement, and an opportunity to explore the rich historical legacy of the community, as well as contemporary connections of the Black Diaspora in Austin.
Six Square: Austin's Black Cultural District
Learn about Austin’s important African American heritage by exploring Six Square, the city’s Black Cultural District. Historic Six Square comprises six square miles of East Austin, originally created in 1928 as the Negro District by the Austin City Council.
As a part of its 1928 Master Plan, the City of Austin forced Black residents to live within a 6-Square mile boundary with a goal to institutionalize racial segregation by forcing all African Americans living in Austin to relocate to Central East Austin.
As a part of its 1928 plan, the City of Austin forced Black residents to live within a six square mile boundary to maintain segregationist policies.
Over seventy-five years later, city managers began working with African American leaders to preserve landmarks integral to the history and heritage of African Americans in Austin and, together, they created the District.
This area was originally named the “Negro District,” but has since been renamed and became the home of Black residents, businesses, schools, and churches. The District birthed the rich heritage and cultural contributions of Austin’s African American community.
The Six Square district is bordered to the north by Manor Road, to the south by Seventh Street, to the east by Airport Boulevard and to the west by Interstate 35.
ARA helped push forward the African American Quality of Life Initiative, which led to the designation of the African American Cultural Heritage District in 2007.
The district is home to a number of significance sites of national, regional, and local importance that celebrate African Americans and others who played important roles in creating the innovation that makes Austin attractive to businesses and creative minds worldwide today.
Today, District landmarks include the Victory Grill, the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center, the Dedrick-Hamilton House, Huston Tillotson University, and the artistic Reflections Mural.
Map of Six Square
Other Landmarks and Cultural Sites
The district is home to several cultural institutions that serve as hubs for education, creativity, and community engagement. These spaces offer programs and events that explore the rich heritage of African Americans in Austin, from art exhibitions and music performances to lectures and community festivals.
- The George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural and Genealogy Center collects, preserves and interprets the African American experience in Austin, and hosts a number of community events throughout the year.
- Austin’s Historically Black College and University (HBCU), Huston-Tillotson University opened in 1875 as the very first institution of higher learning in Austin. It began as two schools, Tillotson College and Samuel Huston College, until merging in 1952. Notable alumni include Bobby Bradford, James A. Harris, Dr. June H. Brewer, Dr. Zan Wesley Holmes and Volma Overton, among many distinguished others. Perhaps most famous is Jackie Robinson, who coached basketball here from 1944-45. The Ira Evans Hall and the Anthony and Louise Viaer Alumni Hall are both listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
- Established 1851, the Texas State Cemetery is the final resting place of Texas statesmen, military veterans and other individuals who have contributed to the rich culture of Texas. Check out Monument Hill, site of the grave and monument of Austin's namesake, Stephen F. Austin.
- Downs Mabson Field has been synonymous with baseball and the East Austin African American community since the 1940s. The Austin Black Senators, whose team included National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Willie Wells, played on the original stadium site. Today, Downs Field is home to the Huston-Tillotson University Rams and the Austin Metro Baseball League.
- Nearby, historic Rosewood Park is located on land that was originally a homestead for local store owner Rudolph Bertram in the 1870s.
- The Texas Music Museum is a treasury containing a unique historical collection that tells the story of the musicians who helped make Austin the Live Music Capital of the World®.
Murals: Visual Narratives of Black Austin
Several murals found around Austin are colorful homages to Austin’s Black community and achievements.
- Rhapsody Mural, constructed of gorgeous mosaic tiles that make up an animated tribute to East Austin’s musical past, is located along East 11th Street.
- The vibrant Chicon Mural, at the corner of 12th and Chicon streets, features Black icons like Muhammad Ali, James Brown and Texas native Beyoncé.
- Look for the mural of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., accompanied by the quote “We may have come on different ships but we’re in the same boat now,” painted on the side of Sam’s Bar-B-Que, an East Austin mainstay since the 1940s.
- Seek out the thought-provoking mural at Holey Moley, dedicated to victims of police brutality that include George Floyd and Eric Garner, created by Austin artist Chris Rogers.
Explore downtown Austin with the Downtown Mural Tour I FOX 7 Austin
Experiencing Black Austin: Tours and Cuisine
Black Austin Tours Guide and Founder Javier Wallace. Take a guided tour and get an in-depth history lesson on Black culture in Austin. Black Austin Tours ensures that Black histories, experiences and contributions are included in Austin's story. Join a tour with Six Square Historic Tours and learn about the history of the people, places and stories that have contributed to the history of Austin.
Find Black-owned restaurants of all cuisine types throughout the city, including soul food, seafood, barbecue, Southern food and more. Or experience mouthwatering flavors from around the world at eateries and food trucks specializing in Ethiopian, Jamaican and Haitian dishes. Check out some below and discover how you can support even more local Black-owned restaurants.
- Billed as “the best baked potatoes in Austin,” Anything’s Baked Potato uses quality ingredients in its stuffed russet potato creations.
- The Big Easy Bar and Grill is Austin’s original New Orleans po’ boy and gumbo shop.
- Watts-That Soul Food & More serves up bigtime flavor and homestyle taste from a food truck on East Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Opt for the fried catfish baskets, with an order or Boudin sausage to share.
- Get yourself some soul food at Hoover’s Cooking. The Jamaican jerk ribs are a must order, or try Southern specialties like the fried catfish or smothered pork chops.
- For something plant-based, Community Vegan is a food-truck offering up tasty vegan alternatives for classic comfort dishes.
A Legacy of Music and Entertainment
Austin’s original Victory Grill was a stop on the Chitlin Circuit, a network of African American juke joints that brought big-name blues and R&B performers to Austin in the 1940s. Over the years, Victory Grill provided a stage for legendary talents like Billie Holiday, James Brown, Ike and Tina Turner, Etta James and Chuck Berry.
Named for the legendary jazz trumpeter and East Austinite, Kenny Dorham’s Backyard is an outdoor music venue, located in the heart of the historic East End cultural district and just down the street from Kenny Dorham’s last home in Austin.
Ongoing Efforts and Future Plans
As Austin continues to evolve, the African American Cultural Heritage District remains a vital part of the city’s fabric. Efforts to preserve and enhance the district are ongoing, with projects focused on cultural preservation, economic development, and community empowerment.
Designating Resolution: Resolution No. The City of Austin is embarking on strategic planning efforts in the African American Cultural Heritage District as directed by Resolution No. 20210902-048.
AACHD Coalition Workshop #4Tuesday, March 25th - 10:00AM - 12:00PM - Yellow Jacket Conference Center - Eastside Early College High School at L.C.
