Southgate-Lewis House, Victorian residence in East Austin, Texas.
The Southgate-Lewis House is a Gothic Revival structure featuring five ground floor rooms including two parlors, a formal dining room, and a kitchen, with three bedrooms on the upper level. Today it operates as a museum and archive dedicated to research and preservation of materials related to African American history.
Built in 1888 by Robert Lambie for publisher John Southgate, the house remained in the Lewis family's hands from 1913 until 1979 and faced demolition threats during that period. It was transferred to the W.H. Passon Historical Society in 1986 by a University of Texas professor to ensure the preservation of Black cultural materials.
The residence stands within the African American Cultural Heritage District, where it preserves documents, photographs, and artifacts that tell the story of Black life in Austin. Visitors can experience how the space functions as a repository for materials that document the contributions and experiences of Black communities in the region.
The house is located about one mile east of the Texas State Capitol on East 12th Street and is easily accessible by foot or car. As a research and archive center, visitors should plan to spend time exploring the collections and materials thoroughly.
The house transitioned from a family residence into a repository for Black cultural materials, rather than becoming a typical house museum with period furnishings. This shift in purpose shows how buildings can be repurposed to serve the community's need for preserving and sharing historical documentation.
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