Clarksville Historic District
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| Clarksville Historic District | |
|---|---|
| (U.S. Registered Historic District) | |
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| Location: | Bounded by W. Lynn, Waterson, W. 10th and MO-PAC Expwy. Austin, Texas, USA |
| Coordinates: | Coordinates: |
| Architect: | Willis Edmerson |
| Added to NRHP: | December 1, 1976 |
| NRHP Reference#: | 76002070 |
The Clarksville Historic District is a collection of historic homes and structures west of downtown Austin, Texas. Originally part of a 365-acre (1.48 km²) tract owned by Governor Elisha Pease, the first two-acre parcel of land was sold to freedman Charles Clark in 1871, who subdivided the land to more black settlers.
Just over a mile to the west of Austin, Clarksville soon became a de facto part of the city, especially when the International-Great Northern Railroad laid tracks nearby in the 1870s. The Sweet Home Baptist Church, a cornerstone of the community to this day, was founded prior to 1882, and a school existed as early as the 1890s.
Despite pressure to move to the segregated east side of Austin, Clarksville retained its African-American identity throughout the 20th century. The neighborhood was greatly reduced by construction of the Mopac Expressway on its western side in the 1970s. The final streets in Clarksville were not paved until 1975, when a section of the community was designated as historic by the Texas Historical Commission. Later in the 1970s, as rising land values drove lower-income residents out of the area, the Clarksville Community Development Corporation was established to provide low-income options to preserve the community's character.
The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
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