Southgate-Lewis House Reopens in East Austin

Link: Southgate-Lewis House

The event:

• The Southgate-Lewis House, a repository for African-American history and culture, reopened to the public on Saturday.
• The event was organized by the W.H. Passon Historical Society, the house's trustee.
• It took place in East Austin, 1501 E. 12th Street, ahead of Juneteenth.
• The community celebrated Black history and participated in a discussion centered around Black voices in Austin.
• District 1 Council Member Natasha Harper Madison and Virginia Cumberbatch, Board Chair of the W.H. Passon Society, gave opening remarks.
• A kids' reading corner was hosted by Terry P. Mitchell, co-author of "The City We Built."

The house:

• The Southgate-Lewis House is an African-American historical landmark constructed in 1888.
• UT Professor Emeritus Dr. Duane Albrecht gifted the house to the Passon Society in 1986 to preserve Black culture in Austin and Travis County.
• Dr. Albrecht acquired the condemned house after completing his Ph.D. at the University of Berkeley, recognizing its historical significance and committing to its preservation.
• The house gained its 501(c)(3) status in 2023, allowing it to reopen to the public with a renewed vision as a connector and cultural generator.

Its importance:

• Virginia Cumberbatch, Board Chair, emphasizes that the house serves as a reminder of the Black population's contributions to Austin's cultural landscape, especially amid gentrification and displacement.
• The space will function as a gallery and community space, presenting artifacts and storytelling for preservation and healing.
• Terry P. Mitchell and Virginia Cumberbatch stress the importance of recognizing the continued presence of the Black community in a rapidly changing city.
• The event aimed to raise awareness of the house as a vital site for preserving Black history and stories.