Southgate–Lewis House facts for kids

Southgate–Lewis House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Southgate–Lewis House in June 2021.
Location in Texas Show map of Texas Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	1501 East 12th Street Austin, Texas, USA
Area	East Austin
Built	1888
Architect	R. C. Lambie
Architectural style	Victorian
NRHP reference No.	85002265
Quick facts for kids Significant dates
Added to NRHP	September 17, 1985

"Bird's Eye View of the City of Austin", an 1873 map of Austin. Note that College Street (now 12th Street) can be seen extending from the center of the Texas State Capital building up into Robertson Hill. College Street and Congress Avenue appear to be the two main streets of Austin, centering upon the State Capital Building.

The Southgate–Lewis House is a special building in Austin, Texas. It was built in 1888 and is located about a mile east of the Texas State Capitol. This house is an important African-American historical landmark. It helps preserve the history and culture of African Americans in East Austin. This area is now called "Austin's Black Cultural District." The Southgate–Lewis House is right in the middle of this important district.

A builder named Robert C. Lambie constructed the house in 1888. It was first built for John Southgate, who was a publisher and bookbinder. His business was on Congress Avenue. The house stands out because of its beautiful and complex Victorian style. It's different from many simpler buildings nearby.

The Charles M. Lewis family owned the house from 1913 to 1979. After Marguerite Mae Dee Lewis passed away in 1970, the house was left empty for almost ten years. It started to fall apart and was even scheduled to be torn down. Luckily, the house was saved just one week before demolition. It was then carefully restored to preserve its history.

Today, the Southgate–Lewis House is a city, state, and national historic landmark. In 1986, a professor from The University of Texas at Austin gave the house as a gift to the W. H. Passon Historical Society. This society works to find and protect items and information about Black culture in Austin and Travis County.

Why the Southgate–Lewis House is a Landmark

The Southgate–Lewis House has received many important awards and recognitions. These show how special and historically significant it is.

• 1979 – It was named a City of Austin landmark.
• 1980 – It won the Heritage Society of Austin Historic Preservation Award.
• 1985 – It became a landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
• 1987 – The State of Texas recognized it for protecting Black heritage in Austin.
• 1987 – It received the "Helping Hands Award for Community Service."
• 1988 – It was named a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark.

Discovering the House's Style

The Southgate–Lewis House has a unique and fancy style. It was built by Robert C. Lambie, who was known for his detailed work.

What Makes the House Special

The house is described as "High Victorian" Gothic Revival. This means it has many decorative features. It has parts that stick out, like eaves and gables. There's also a big front bay window with a fancy trim called a denticulated cornice.

The outside of the house has different types of siding and trim. The bottom part has vertical siding. Above that, there are rows of fish-scale and rectangular shingles. The roof has ornamental bargeboard trim with brackets. Two tall brick chimneys rise above the cedar shake roof. There's also a special window called a dormer on the west side. The house has 22 double-hung windows.

Inside the House

The first floor of the house has five rooms. When you enter, you step into the main hall. This hall has a beautiful staircase that goes up to the second floor. From the hall, you can go into the main living room. This room has a fireplace with colorful tiles in a cool pattern.

Big wooden sliding doors connect the first living room to a second one. From the second living room, you can go out to a covered porch or into the dining room. The dining room has wooden panels on the walls and ceiling. From the dining room, you can enter a small kitchen. The kitchen also has a door to the covered porch.

Upstairs, on the second floor, there are three bedrooms, a small closet, a small bathroom, and a large hallway. The hallway has a railing around the staircase. A large window in the hallway opens onto a small balcony.

The House's Journey Through Time

The Southgate–Lewis House has a rich history, connected to important people and changes in Austin.

Robertson Hill's Beginnings

The area where the house stands is called Robertson Hill. It's named after Joseph William Robertson. He was a doctor, a Texas Ranger, and a member of the Texas government in the 1800s. He bought a large piece of land in 1848, which included the French Legation. Robertson and his son started selling parts of this land, and that's how Robertson Hill grew.

College Street in the Past

An old map from 1873, called "Bird's Eye View of the City of Austin," shows what Austin looked like. The Southgate–Lewis House was built just 15 years after this map was made. Back then, Austin had about 10,000 to 15,000 people.

The map shows that Congress Avenue and College Street were the main roads in Austin. Both streets led to the State Capitol Building, which was the center of the city. College Street was a big street that went directly from the Capitol into the Robertson Hill area, where homes were being built. The Southgate–Lewis House was built on this important street.

Street Names Change

On September 21, 1886, Austin changed its street names to numbers. College Street became 12th Street. Congress Avenue became the dividing line for East and West streets. The Southgate–Lewis House is located at 1501 East 12th Street.

John Southgate, the First Owner

John Southgate was a bookbinder and publisher in Austin. His business was very close to the Texas State Capitol. He had worked in England and the United States for over 30 years. Newspapers like the Austin American Statesman often praised his work. They said his books were beautifully made.

Robert C. Lambie, the Builder

John Southgate hired Robert C. Lambie to build the house in 1888. Lambie was a famous builder in Texas. He built many other important structures, including:

• The first Engineering Building at The University of Texas at Austin.
• The historic home and studio of German sculptor Elisabet Ney, now the Elisabet Ney Museum.
• The Old Main Building at Texas State University.
• The Hays County Courthouse.

Lambie was known for his amazing woodwork. The Southgate–Lewis House shows this with its beautiful stair railings, fancy door and window frames, and decorative wood blocks. The Texas Legislature even said the house has "one of the finest staircases in all of Austin."

The Lewis Family's Time in the House

The Charles M. Lewis family owned the house from 1913 to 1970. Charles M. Lewis was an important Black citizen in Austin. He was a professor at Samuel Huston College. His daughter, Marguerite Mae Dee Lewis, was a teacher at L.C. Anderson High School, which was very close to the house.

Marguerite Mae Dee Lewis and her family's life in the Southgate–Lewis House were even featured in a series of children's books by Ada Marie DeBlanc Simond.

Saving a Historic Treasure

After Marguerite Mae Dee Lewis passed away in 1970, the house was empty for almost ten years. It fell into very bad condition. Many windows were broken, and parts of the roof were missing, letting water inside. Pigeons even lived there! Because it was so unsafe, the city planned to tear it down.

A Professor Steps In

In February 1979, just one week before the house was to be demolished, a professor from The University of Texas at Austin noticed it. He decided to save the house, restore it, and make it his home.

He received help from The Heritage Society of Austin (now called Preservation Austin). An architect named David Hoffman gave advice, and a bank provided a loan to help with the restoration work.

Bringing the House Back to Life

Peter J. Fears was the craftsman in charge of restoring the Southgate–Lewis House. He had just finished restoring another historic house nearby.

Strong Walls

When Peter Fears started working on the house, he found something interesting. The inside walls were not made of the usual "lath and plaster" that was common back then. Instead, they were covered with strong wooden boards called shiplap, laid diagonally. This made the house very sturdy and able to resist strong winds.

Special Wood

These strong boards were stamped with "Calcasieu Lumber Co." This company was founded in 1883, just a few years before the house was built. They used top-quality wood, especially longleaf pine, from Louisiana.

Hidden Gems

The restoration work uncovered many beautiful features inside the house. These included the fancy staircase, wooden wall panels, brass hardware, and wood floors made from old-growth longleaf pine.

The restoration team also realized that the house's basic layout hadn't changed much since it was built. However, they believed the small kitchen was probably added later and wasn't part of the original design.

A New Purpose for the House

After the restoration, the professor and his family lived in the house for many years. Later, with encouragement from Ada Marie DeBlanc Simond, the professor donated the Southgate–Lewis House to the W. H. Passon Historical Society in December 1986.

The Passon Society's goal is to collect and preserve materials about African-American history. They also want to create an educational center for research. The Southgate–Lewis House was the perfect place for them to do this important work.

The W. H. Passon Historical Society

The W. H. Passon Historical Society works to find and protect items and information about Black culture in Austin and Travis County. Ada Marie DeBlanc Simond helped start the society in 1975.

Their goal is to "secure, preserve and legitimize events, documents and artifacts related to the Black Culture in Austin and Travis County." They also want to recognize people and groups who protect Black heritage.

Today, the Southgate–Lewis House is the home of the W. H. Passon Historical Society. It serves as an important African-American Historical Landmark and a place to learn about African-American history and culture.

Wesley H. Passon: Educator and Historian

Wesley H. Passon (1864–1933) was a Black educator who did a lot to preserve African-American history. He wrote an important summary of the history of the African-American population in Austin.

In 1894, Mr. Passon became the principal of a school in Wheatville, Texas. This was the first Black community connected to Austin after the Civil War. He later served as principal for many other early schools in Austin, like Blackshear School, which opened in 1891 to provide free education to African-American children.

As a historian, W. H. Passon created a detailed historical record for the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Austin in 1907. This record is still a very important resource for scholars today.

Ada Marie DeBlanc Simond: Writer and Activist

Ada Marie DeBlanc Simond (1903–1989) was an African-American teacher, writer, historian, and public health activist. She grew up near the Southgate–Lewis House and was a strong supporter of its preservation.

Ada Simond knew the Charles M. Lewis family well and was friends with Mae Dee Lewis. She often visited the Southgate–Lewis House. Charles M. Lewis was also her mentor and allowed her to attend classes at Samuel Huston College.

Children's Books

Ada Simond used the Lewis family and the Southgate–Lewis House as inspiration for a series of six children's books. These books, called Let's Pretend: Mae Dee and Her Family, told true stories about Black families in Austin in the early 1900s. The books were narrated by Mae Dee Lewis, who Ada Simond said was a childhood friend. This book series won an award from the Texas Historical Commission in 1979. Ada Simond also wrote a weekly newspaper column called "Looking Back," which shared the history of Austin's African-American community.

Important Contributions

Ada Simond earned a master's degree and taught at Tillotson College. She received an honorary doctorate degree in 1982. She was a lifelong member of important civil rights organizations. She also received many awards for her work in human rights.

Ada Simond helped create the George Washington Carver Museum, which is only two blocks from the Southgate–Lewis House. She was inducted into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame in 1986, and a street in Austin is named after her. In 1975, she organized the W. H. Passon Historical Society to help protect the history of Austin's African-American community.

Juneteenth National Independence Day

On June 19, 2021, Juneteenth became a new federal holiday in the United States. This day, also known as Jubilee Day or Freedom Day, celebrates the end of slavery for African Americans.

The Southgate–Lewis House, home of the W. H. Passon Historical Society, played a part in the Juneteenth celebration in 2021. Banners showing important African Americans in government, education, literature, medicine, and sports were displayed on the house. Other banners showed distinguished African Americans in religion and the military.

A House for Learning

Throughout its long history, the Southgate–Lewis House has always been connected to education. John Southgate, the first owner, was a bookbinder, and books are certainly linked to learning. Charles Lewis and Mae Dee Lewis were both educators. The professor who saved the house was also an educator. Wesley H. Passon was a respected Black educator. And today, the W. H. Passon Historical Society uses the house to "establish an educational center."

Images for kids

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  R.C. Lambie constructed the Hays County Courthouse. It was built in the Classical Revival style in 1908.

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  Photograph of Marguerite Mae Dee Lewis, the daughter of Charles M. Lewis, owners of the Southgate–Lewis House

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  Wesley H. Passon (1864-1933); Black educator and scholar who made important substantive contributions to the historical record of African-American history.

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  Ada Marie DeBlanc Simond (1903-1989) was an African-American teacher, writer, historian, and much more.

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  R.C. Lambie Stairway Balustrade following restoration circa 1980

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  State of Texas historical medallion for the Southgate–Lewis House.

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  Ornate Victorian dormer

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  Wainscotting within the dining room of the Southgate–Lewis House

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  Window woodwork

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  This photograph shows the balustrade and the landing at the top of the staircase on the second floor directly after the house was saved from demolition, restored and preserved, circa 1980.

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  Southgate–Lewis House on June 19, 2021 with banners of distinguished African Americans

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  North elevation, front side of the Southgate–Lewis House on Juneteenth 2021 with banners of distinguished African Americans

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  Staircase balustrade of the Southgate–Lewis House in June 2021 University of Texas at Austin "One of the finest staircases in all of Austin". Note that the W. H. Passon Society has exhibits displayed upon the walls of the stairway.