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Recognition
Austin9s Huston-Tillotson
University Receives
the TxA Architectural
Landmark Award
by Abigail Thomas
16 Texas Architect
9/10 2024
Huston-Tillotson9s culture and scholarship over
time, but adherence to the architect-designed
campus plan drafted in 1954 creates a cohesiveness
that binds the disparate buildings together. Two of
the most notable buildings4the former Administration Hall (now the Anthony and Louise Viaer
Alumni Hall) and Evans Industrial Hall4were
constructed by students between 1911 and 1914.
The Viaer Alumni Hall, deoned by its Prairie style,
was independently listed on the NRHP in 1993 and
underwent a federally funded restoration between
2005 and 2006. The building was rededicated at
Charter Day 2006 in honor of Anthony Viaer,
his wife, and his fellow alumni. Evans Industrial
Hall, designed in 1911 by an unknown architect,
similarly stands out from the other campus buildings. Its Romanesque innuences4rusticated cut
stone, hipped dormers, and a formal double-access
staircase4were lovingly restored in 1984 when the
building was declared a Texas Historical Site.
The majority of the buildings on campus
PHOTOS BY ANASTASIA CALHOUN, ASSOC. AIA, NOMA
As the oldest institution of higher learning in
Austin, Huston-Tillotson University represents
an enduring commitment to the education and
empowerment of its students and local community.
Chartered in 1877, this Historically Black College and University (HBCU) has been recognized
with the Texas Society of Architects9 Architectural
Landmark Award to honor its campus of architecturally signiocant structures4many of which continue to inspire Texas architects today. Rather than
celebrating the talents of a specioc architect, the
campus of Huston-Tillotson represents a legacy of
student-led empowerment, resilience, and design.
Tillotson College and Samuel Huston College
began as separate universities but merged in 1952
to become the sole institution of higher education
for African Americans in Central Texas until the
Supreme Court ruling of Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. Constructed between 1911 and 1971,
the Huston-Tillotson campus is an amalgamation
of the 20th century9s most popular architectural
styles. In 2022, the near entirety of the campus was
classioed as a historic district by the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Spanning 20 acres
and 13 buildings, the NRHP dedication honors
the educational, cultural, and economic role that
Huston-Tillotson has played in East Austin for over
140 years.
Throughout its 60 years of construction, the
university embraced a variety of architectural
styles. Such a mixture reflects the evolution of
