Events At the Haskell House in 2026

Clarksville Community Conversations” Speaker Series, 2026.

Sunday, March 8, 2-3. Dr. Tara A. Dudley, PhD will talk about two women from very different backgrounds, both rooted in Clarksville, who shaped the physical development of the community on both sides of the International and Great Northern Railroad tracks. A gifted speaker, Dudley is an Assistant Professor UT-Austin’s School of Architecture, a nationally-known preservation consultant and author. Dudley’s scholarship examines the contributions of African American craftspeople, builders, and architects to the American built environment, focusing on the antebellum and Reconstruction eras in the U.S. South.

Sunday, April 12, 2-3. Stephanie Lang and Sue Spears will share information about Black cemeteries in Austin connected to freedom colonies. The two women view these cemeteries as sacred outdoor museums. Lang is a community engagement professional, storytelling practitioner, program coordinator, cultural preservationist, writer, and researcher who focuses on Black people in Central Texas. She is also founder of RECLAIM, which identifies, recovers, uncovers, and ultimately showcases narratives and histories of black people throughout the diaspora. Spears is the president of the Bethany Cemetery Association and a long-time advocate for Bethany, which is Austin’s first Black cemetery.

Sunday, July 12, 2-3. Bob Ward, Chair, Travis County Historical Commission, will talk about the many Austin area freedom communities, including recently discovered communities. Ward is an archeology and history steward and serves on numerous boards including the Texas Historical Commission’s antiquities advisory board, the Austin History Center Association board, the board of governance for Jourdan-Bachman Pioneer Farms, and the Preservation Austin board of directors.

The Haskell House Will Be Open to Visitors on the following dates, 1-4 p.m.

Admission is free.

Saturday, February 14

Saturday, February 28

Sunday, March 1

Saturday, March 14

Sunday, March 22

Saturday, March 28

Sunday, March 29

Saturday, April 11

Sunday, April 12

Sunday, April 26

Sunday, May 10

Sunday, May 24

(Dates for the remainder of 2026 to come.)