What’s in an Austin Neighborhood Name?

Legacies Live on in the Names.

People move, families evolve, and legends lose their origins. But the names of neighborhoods endure despite once-familiar associations fading. With generations of change shaping East Austin, it should come as no surprise to learn that its districts are named for more than just a smooth sounding word.

Six Square
The practically descriptive name of this central East Austin neighborhood is a permanent reminder of the six square blocks that were formed by the 1928 masterplan, which unceremoniously relocated former Freedman communities to the east of what is now I-35. Despite adversity, this Black cultural district blossomed. These arbitrarily drawn boundaries became the home to Justice Thurgood Marshall and Huston-Tillotson University, an institution for higher education that predates all others in the city.

Schieffer Willowbrook
Nestled next to the better-known Cherrywood neighborhood is Schieffer Willowbrook. Named after Emmett Schieffer, today’s community was once a dairy farm and cattle ranch with a neighborhood meat market. The encroachment of suburbia eventually divided this farm into Maplewood Elementary, Patterson Park, surrounding homes, and what is fondly known as Duplex Nation – Austin’s first post-World War II subdivision meant to accommodate servicemen and their families.

Mueller
The 711 acres that comprise this urban village used to be Robert Mueller Municipal Airport. Austin leaders kept the name of the former city council member in early 20th century Austin who only served for a mere matter of months on Council before passing away from hay fever after a particularly arduous late-night debate session. And depending on how long someone has been in Austin, the pronunciation of the name “Mueller” is a history lesson all on its own.

Windsor Park
Neighboring to the north side of Mueller is Windsor Park, a mid-century district that lifts its name from the storied neighborhood in Central London. While this area never provided a private park for royalty, it does have its own claim to fame. During the filming of Friday Night Lights, the neighborhood served as the setting of the fictional Dillon, Texas, for which its landscapes still remain recognizable.

Swede Hill
Small but mighty, this 40-acre pocket district has some of the most diverse history in East Austin. Settled by Swedish and French immigrants as well as African Americans, Mexican Americans, and Lebanese Americans, this multi-cultural center boasts celebrated galleries and Eastside staples that are a part of East Austin’s first historical district: Robertson/Stuart & Mair Historic District.

Givens Neighborhood
Dr. Everett Givens, after whom this area of East Austin is named, was a World War I veteran and civic leader who fought for improved streets, access to parks, and bus services to connect East Austin. He also spent ample time before the city council to persuade the city to hire its first Black firefighters. In his spare time, he pursued a successful professional career as one of Austin’s first Black dentists.

Manor: In 1832, James Manor followed Texas legend Sam Houston to Texas on a presidential mission to negotiate treaties with Texas Indian tribes. Four years later, Manor made his home in what is now the eponymously named ‘City of Manor,’and East Austin borrows the fame of this name for one of its business districts. Crisscrossing the neighborhoods east of I-35 is a thriving commercial district dotted with bars, restaurants, community gardens, and theaters.