It’s the last week of Black History Month 2025, which makes it seem entirely appropriate and on time for us to post our next Virtual Austin photo essay about the Rogers Washington Holy Cross Neighborhood in east Austin.  The neighborhood’s approximate boundaries are East Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., East 21^st  Street, Maple and Cedar avenues.

The neighborhood was one of the first neighborhoods in Austin developed by Black professionals for Black professionals. Construction in the neighborhood began around 1950. The oldest structure documented in the neighborhood is from 1947, but most original homes in the neighborhood were built between 1950 and 1965.

With the onset of gentrification in the neighborhood, concerned residents rallied to create a historic district to preserve the original character of the neighborhood as well as the historic homes in it. The district was approved by the city in September 2020.

We are proud to highlight the historic Rogers Washington Holy Cross Neighborhood and the  ongoing efforts to preserve its identity in this our second, Virtual Austin photo essay.

MAINTENANCE! This house is one of the many in the neighborhood that holds strong historical importance. “This house is the Kirk family home where civil rights activist Willie Mae Kirk and her husband raised their children, one of whom grew up to be the first Black mayor of Dallas and another who is a community activist and popular singer who still lives in the area,” said Jen Margulies a historic district member. Houses like this one play a crucial part in the east side history of Austin. If the historic district had not been recently enacted, the home likely would have been destroyed. The home lies near the end of the historic district and was left empty after the historic district was established. The house is currently undergoing construction to improve maintenance issues but will retain its original structure and appearance. Caption and photo by Avital Cuevas.

CLEAR THE WAY! One positive development in the neighborhood has been the decision to close some streets to all but local traffic. The move was made in part to give children in the neighborhood traffic-free streets where they can roam and play.  It is one small way the neighborhood is trying to restore the sense of community even if it looks a little different than it did before. Caption and photos by Avital Cuevas.

NATURAL SHADE: This image juxtaposes one of two new houses build in the neighborhood, a trend that sparked the formation of an association to protect the historic homes in the neighborhood. “In 2015, as east Austin has become more gentrified and the original residents of the neighborhood were passing away, developers were buying up the land and scraping the lots to build massive California style mini mansions that most people in the neighborhood couldn’t afford,” said Jennifer Margulies, a neighborhood association member. “Not only were these houses driving up property values,  but they were erasing the history of one of Austin’s first Black middle class neighborhoods. The houses would just be gone from one week to the next. It was worrying.”

SIGNS OF CONFLICT: A heritage poster is on display on the corner of Givens. The heritage poster was put up as part of a virtual tour of the neighborhood and its history. The poster however is overshadowed by the open house sign, part of an attempt to sell one of the newer homes built in 2015. One resident, who has been in the neighborhood since childhood and who asked not to be identified, said that the new-build houses take away from the charm and the heritage of the area. “Now that that trend of that housing style has passed, no one wants them,” she added.

PLANTED DEEP: These photo posters that can be seen all around Rogers Washington Holy Cross. If you scan the QR code, you can see a virtual tour of the neighborhood sharing the stories of longtime residents and their family stories. “We worked together with funding for the city to tell the stories of this neighborhood and bring Austin’s Black history to life through new technology,” historical association member Jennifer Margulies said. “ E4 Youth collected oral histories and VR experiences based on these stories. Legacy residents of the neighborhood in their 60s, 70s and 80s spent hours telling their stories about the neighborhood and its history.” Caption and photo by Avital Cuevas.

FOOD AND FELLOWSHIP: The historical association hosted a Thanksgiving potluck. The food was setup beforehand so that it would be ready once neighbors began to arrive.  Attendees celebrated the local community and the big achievements that the community achieved in 2024: the E4 youth campaign and securing city grants. Caption and photos by Avital Cuevas.

MATH MENTOR: This was the house of Dr. General Garwood Marshall, who taught math at Huston Tillotson and tutored kids from Kealing Middle School. The new middle school in Muller is named after General Marshall.

THE ANCHOR OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD: Brenda Malik, one of Austin’s first Black news anchors, plays a crucial role in everything that has happened at Rogers Washington Holy Cross. Malik grew up in the neighborhood and watched it change over the years. Shortly after this picture was taken, Malik addressed the potluck, talking about the recent accomplishments of the historical association. “We have a heritage that’s very very strong, very significant in this neighborhood so when people hear Rogers Washington Holy Cross Neighborhood, they’re like ooh OK because we were the only east side historic district in town, so were very proud of what we’ve done here. ” Caption and photo by Avital Cuevas.

MORE WORK TO DO: At the neighborhood’s Thanksgiving potluck, Misael Ramos addresses a circle of people making a small speech on what’s to come and what people can work towards in the future. “There’s still a lot to work to do,” Ramos said while addressing the group. Ramos recently ran for city council and keeps the district connected to city affairs. Caption and photo by Avital Cuevas.