The Irene Hill-Thompson House, a single-story mid-century modern residence built in 1963, has been designated as a city landmark in Austin’s historic district exclusively honoring Black heritage. The house was designed by John S. Chase, the first Black student to enroll at The University of Texas at Austin, for Irene Hill-Thompson, a civic leader from the 1940s to the mid 2000s.

Historic Significance

Irene Hill-Thompson was married to Oscar Thompson, the first Black student to graduate from The University of Texas at Austin. The Irene Hill-Thompson House is also one of two original residential designs from Chase in the Austin area, according to the home’s historic zoning application.

Preservation Austin, a nonprofit organization, has several advocacy priorities, one of which is to designate underrepresented heritage sites. The organization’s goal is to highlight Mexican Americans, the LGBTQ+ community, women, and more to provide an accurate account of the city’s diverse history and culture.

Miriam Conner, board president of Preservation Austin, stated, ‘When only 16% of our landmarks reflect Black and Brown contributions, each designation is an act of correction. We preserve these places because erasure has consequences.’

Original reporting: Community Impact — Austin — read the source article.