Love Where You Live
Holding on to the roots of East Austin
Words by Chris Ferguson & Janine Stankus| Photos by Eric Morales & Baptiste Despois
Dive into the rich history of East Austin’s beloved landmarks and witness their adaptation over the years, all while staying true to their original mission of fostering communal spaces. Then join in on the centuries-old tradition of bringing friends, family, and neighbors together in these iconic spaces.
Mulling Mueller
Tarmacs and Town Homes
Decades after going all-in on new urbanism, East Austin’s largest planned neighborhood has finally landed.
In May 1961, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was in town to visit Austin Mayor Lester Palmer to officially unveil a soaring new terminal and control tower at Robert Mueller Municipal Airport, which had originally opened in 1930 and provided the town’s first commercial runways.
The city enlisted renowned architects Fehr & Granger, who delivered a sleek, streamlined modernist aesthetic that welcomed travelers with open, airy spaces. The spacious and elegant structures were not just much-needed upgrades for a booming population, but they were also a visual representation of Austin’s determination to stay on the cutting edge of air travel.
It remained Austin’s primary commercial hub only until 1999, when advancements in aviation and a buzzing economy would render it obsolete. As Austin-Bergstrom International Airport came online, Mueller’s 700 acres of centrally located dirt afforded the city a generational opportunity.
Soul Purpose
The Revival of Uptown Sports Club
Gumbo and po’ boys lead a rich menu with casual, all-day service in an historic and thoughtfully revitalized building on the corner of East 6th and Waller streets.
“We were all preservation nerds who have passed this building for years, peeking through the cracks to look inside, just like everybody else,” muses Aaron Franklin. “But once we got the space, we let the building talk to us. We popped over with some beer and lawn chairs and sat on the dirt floor. It was all damp and mildewy, with a little light shining in through the boarded-up windows. And it was like, ‘you know, I know what to do.’”
Fast forward to March 2023, and Aaron and a team of partners (including Mohawk co-owner James Moody, Michael Hsu Office of Architecture, Tenaya Hills of Bunkhouse Group, and attorney Jason Jones) celebrated the opening of Uptown Sports Club, namesake of Arnold and Ron Hernandez’s long running establishment that operated from the same building from 1969-2000.
Years in the making, it was a milestone that marked a new era for the once-defunct space, which had remained vacant for 23 years, ultimately becoming a curiosity as the handsome building decayed while somehow eluding bulldozers.
Saltillo Rises
On the Bones of Austin’s Industrial Past.
In the early 1900s, the six-block stretch between 4th and 5th streets, just east of I-35, became an industrial shipping hub that ignited Austin’s economic growth. Today, the last-standing remnants of the city’s first rail yard have been transformed into a new gathering space that reflects that growth and respects its history.
The two former warehouses at 1300 & 1304 East 4th Street were chosen as the home for Cosmic Saltillo, sister cafe to South Austin’s beloved Cosmic Coffee and Beer Garden. Paul Oveisi, partner in Cosmic Hospitality Group, says the site was an instant fit. “The Cosmic concept isn’t ideal for a typical strip mall or run-of-the-mill storefront,” explains Paul. “We like the weird and funky spots that we can restore, beautify, and create natural environments.”
The buildings earned their “weird and funky” reputation over the course of a century-
plus. Built sometime before 1912, they were first used for fuel storage by Texas Oil Company (now Texaco), and later Firestone and Shell. Around 1976, artist Lorlei Brown reimagined the industrial buildings as a cultural hub, using the main building as her own art studio and leasing out other spaces to musicians and artists. “The spot was a frequent site of some cool, underground shows in the ‘90s and early 2000s,” remembers Paul—including a few South by Southwest showcases. But in its more recent years, the colorfully graffitied, and somewhat disheveled, buildings sat largely vacant—until Cosmic lovingly restored the place and officially opened its doors in September 2023. “We really wanted to preserve the history and architecture of the two buildings,” says Paul of the revitalization project, “which was challenging, expensive, and time-consuming—but an imperative for us.”
Serving up Local Spirit
Honoring a Neighborhood Legacy
Many years ago, a quaint building at the corner of East 11th Street and Rosewood Avenue caught the eye of local restaurateurs Jade Pace-Matthews and Greg Matthews. To their chagrin, the space was already being courted as a sports bar. But when providence intervened and the liquor application disappeared from the window, the couple quickly dialed up the owners.
“It was super old school,” Greg recalls. “We met the family and shook hands, then sat in their living room and wrote down the lease.” The Turners live in East Austin, and the building has been in their family for generations. It originally belonged to Mrs. Turner’s father, Ulysses “Doc” Young: one of the first Black pharmacists in Austin who opened it as “Hillside Drug Store” in the 1950s.
Prior to that fateful day, the duo, being collectors of old things, already had a collection of paraphernalia from a pharmacy that had been shuttered in the ‘70s. This Elgin Pharmacy was “a perfect time capsule,” says Greg. They were already stocked with a collection of beautiful apothecary cabinets and display cases that would return the space to its former glory and become a defining feature of the restaurant today.
Look Around
Take a tour of East Austin’s distinctive churches, standing as timeless pillars of their communities’ shared history. From their stylistic architectural flourishes to their resonance as cultural centers, these four churches are waiting to share their stories, shaped by the convergence of cultures in 1950s Austin and beyond.
Olivet Baptist Church (1953)
Dive into the legacy of Austin’s Black Cultural Heritage District, where the visionary John S. Chase, Texas’s first Black registered architect, bestowed the community with his distinctive touch. Look for vaulted rooflines and expressive brick!
1179 San Bernard St.
Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church (1954)
Inside, you’ll discover the state’s oldest statue of Our Lady Guadalupe, and outside, you can appreciate vibrant baroque influences, featuring a copper bell tower and statues.
1296 E 9th St.
St. Julia Catholic Church (1957)
Its well-proportioned courtyard is a soft, meditative place, lovely for quiet contemplation. Simple and modest, the building is resonant with the spirit of mission chapel architecture found across the state. 3010 Lyons Rd.
Ebenezer (Third) Baptist
Church (1957)
Known as one of the most important architectural symbols of Black Austin’s heritage, its neon entrance sign is one of the town’s most iconic. One of few Gothic-inspired buildings in town, it launched a trend of similar designs for Black congregations across East Austin. 1010 E 10th St.
Central Machine Works
This lively local venue and brewery at the east end of Cesar Chavez didn’t just pick a trendy moniker to exude industrial-chic. Central Machine Works, (originally Capitol Machine Works), was an actual machining plant, dating back to the 1940s when it was used to produce airplane parts for World War II and later all kinds of parts for local businesses. It was built by local machinist Dan Bartosh, whom his sons describe as a jack-of-all trades. The brothers—Patrick and Kenny—were there for Central Machine Works’ grand opening in 2019 and were pleased to see so much of the building’s history still intact including the repurposed airplane hanger that looms over the massive shop floor, now housing fermentation equipment, a mini art gallery, and tons of gathering space.
