ne of Austin's oldest neighborhoods, Bouldin Creek dates to the turn of the century, with several historic homes dating to that era still standing. Most of the neighborhood's growth occurred in the 1920s and 1930s. (A 1919 street map shows Bouldin as Austin's southernmost "suburb.") Bouldin Creek was home to one of Austin's most famous voices, the late speaker, writer, and first amendment rights activist John Henry Faulk,whose boyhood residence, the landmark 1894 Victorian mansion of Dr. E.W. Herndon, is now occupied by Green Pastures Restaurant. Other neighborhood notables include Negro League baseball great Willy Wells and UT Tower gunman Charles Whitman.

Before post-war damming and
flood control, real estate south of the river
was cheap, partially due to frequent
Colorado River flooding, which often left residents
and businesses stranded from downtown.
As a result, many black families made
their homes in the Bouldin neighborhood.
Today,this early ethnic diversity is
visible at the 1916 St.Anne African Methodist
Episcopal Church, 1711 Newton Street,
and the nearby Goodwill Baptist Church,
1700 Newton.

In the 1940s a small Hispanic
settlement began to blossom,
following the establishment of the
San José Catholic Church
at the corner of West Mary and
South Third streets. The stone mission-style
church still stands, and is home to
Holy Name of Mary Orthodox Church,
which offers daily services and
an annual blessing service
for animals.

The neighborhood's largest institutional resident is the Texas School for the Deaf. Established in 1856, the school's 65 acre campus stretches between South Congress and South First Street and from Barton Springs Road to Elizabeth Street. The original school building was demolished in 1956. An ambitious expansion and renovation program began at the school in 1992 and continues today.

Historic Resources Survey/Bouldin Creek Neighborhood

Please send information via email to Natalie Charles or drop it off or mail to Judith Sims, at 1503 Bouldin Avenue/Austin, TX 78704

Residents are encouraged to provide a short 50 - 250 word description of the following:

• Home address,
• Original date of construction or Original date of purchase/rental,
• Indicate if house was moved from another location or replaced an older one,
• Describe any additions made and date of additions,
• Provide information of historic significance (major/minor events that took place in the structure, significant inhabitants, changes to the streetscape), and
• Any information that one feels is important to the character of the Bouldin Neighborhood.

Please remember that even the first modern home is as significant as the oldest one there. As many narratives as possible will be included.

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