Tarrytown, Austin, Texas facts for kids
Tarrytown is a cool neighborhood in Austin, Texas, located just west of downtown. It's surrounded by Lake Austin to the west, and major roads like Lake Austin Boulevard, West 35th Street, and Mopac Expressway. Other important streets in the area include Exposition Boulevard, Enfield Road, and Windsor Road. A smaller area called Brown Herman is also part of Tarrytown.
You can find two shopping areas here: Tarrytown Center and Casis Village, both with local shops. It's also home to Casis Elementary and O. Henry Middle School. Buses from Cap Metro (Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority) help people get around, with routes like No. 18 and No. 335.
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Tarrytown's Past: A Look at Its History
The land where Tarrytown stands today was once a large property called Woodlawn. This property was about 365 acres (1.5 square kilometers) and had a beautiful mansion. A famous builder named Abner H. Cook designed the mansion in 1853 for James Shaw, who was the Texas State Comptroller (a state official who manages money).
In 1857, Shaw sold the Woodlawn estate to Elisha M. Pease, who was the Governor of Texas, and his wife, Lucadia Christiane Niles Pease.
How Tarrytown Was Developed
Years later, in 1916, Governor Pease's daughter, Julia, and his grandson, Niles Graham, teamed up with Graham's cousin Murray. They divided most of the Woodlawn land into smaller plots. They started a company called Enfield Realty and Home Building Company. This company helped create many neighborhoods in Old West Austin, such as Old Enfield, Pemberton Heights, and Bryker Woods.
The company's secretary, Paul Crusemann, married Carrie Margaret Graham, who was Governor Pease's granddaughter. Carrie became a partner in the company and helped develop the area. The first part of the Tarrytown neighborhood officially opened on November 4, 1934. It was named after the family's summer home in Tarrytown, New York. More parts of Tarrytown were developed in the years that followed. In 1939, Carrie Graham Crusemann and Niles Graham opened the Tarrytown Shopping Center.
A Unique Shopping Center Vision
Tarrytown even got national attention because of an interesting story about its shopping center. In 1999, Jeanne Crusemann Daniels, who was Governor Pease's great-granddaughter and an animal rights activist, inherited the Tarrytown Shopping Center. She decided to make some big changes. She put rules in place that stopped the sale of animal products or items that could harm animals.
Because of these rules, some businesses, like the popular Holiday House burger restaurant, decided to close. Over time, new businesses that shared her vision of protecting animals moved into the shopping center.
Learning in Tarrytown: Local Schools
Tarrytown is part of the Austin Independent School District. This means children living in Tarrytown go to these public schools:
- Tarrytown preschool
- Casis Elementary School
- O. Henry Middle School
- Austin High School
