Realtors & Developers

Many people equate all of Old West Austin (OWA) with Clarksville, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. In fact, Clarksville encompasses a very small area that is located within the NW boundaries of OWA. And, its history is very different from the rest of OWA.

The boundaries of the Clarksville National Register Historic District are:

  • Eastern boundary: West side of West Lynn Street

  • Western boundary: MoPac

  • Northern boundary: South side of West 12th Street from West Lynn to Charlotte and then south side of Waterston Avenue to MoPac

  • Southern boundary: West 10th Street

Clarksville is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Austin and historically Black. Established in 1871 by Charles Clark, a formerly-enslaved man from Mississippi, Clarksville was envisioned as a place where former slaves could reunite with their family and friends, direct their own lives and freely practice their religion. For more information about Clarksville’s rich history, go to the History page on this site.

Message to Austin Realtors

One of the most important missions of the Clarksville Community Development Corporation (CCDC), the neighborhood organization for Clarksville, is protecting the history of Clarksville, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Therefore, the board of directors of the CCDC asks that you:

  • Not disrespect Clarksville’s history by marketing houses located outside the neighborhood’s geographic boundaries as being in Clarksville. Preserving the history of our neighborhood includes preserving the definition of where the neighborhood begins and ends.

  • Let potential buyers know that the CCDC will actively oppose any efforts to demolish homes that contribute to the Clarksville NRHD or make changes to those homes that will make them non-contributing. Also, all new construction in the Clarksville NRHD should respect the traditional character of the neighborhood.

We are happy to share with your clients our neighborhood design standards and we are always available for a meeting to discuss how your clients can preserve the historic character of the homes they are buying while achieving their own goals at the same time. To arrange a meeting, contact Mary Reed at mrpraustin@gmail.com.

Message to Austin Architects and Builders

Protecting the history of Clarksville, which is on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHD) is a key mission of the Clarksville Community Development Corporation (CCDC), the neighborhood organization for Clarksville. Therefore, we ask that you:

  • Inform your clients that the CCDC will actively oppose any efforts to either demolish a home that contributes to the Clarksville NRHD or make changes to a historically-contributing home that will make the home-noncontributing.

  • Understand that all new construction in the Clarksville NRHD should respect the traditional character of the neighborhood in terms of its design, materials, etc.

The CCDC is happy to share its Clarksville design standards with you and your clients. Also, we are always available for a meeting to discuss the best way to preserve the historic character of a home while achieving your client’s goals at the same time. To obtain a copy of those standards or to arrange a meeting, contact Mary Reed at mrpraustin@gmail.com.

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