National Register Listing

George Washington Carver Library

1165 Angelina St., Austin, TX

The George Washington Carver Library is a building located in downtown Austin, and is considered one of the first black libraries in the United States.

The George Washington Carver Library, at 1165 Angelina Street, served as Austin's first public library from its construction in 1926 until it was moved in 1933 to its present location and it became Austin's first branch library for African-Americans on September 11, 1933. Designed by architect Hugo Miller, the wood-framed building originally sat at southwest corner of Ninth and Guadalupe streets in downtown Austin. Once moved, the wood-clad building was sided with a beige brick veneer. In 1980, the library was transformed into the George Washington Carver Museum, as the 1,800-square-foot building was no longer capable of providing adequate space for library services. A majority of the exterior of the Carver Library retains a high degree of integrity, with alterations and renovations limited to the interior spaces, exterior walkways, and entrances. Although architecturally simple in design, the complex cultural importance of this library is noteworthy and the building is therefore eligible for listing in the NRHP under Criterion A in the area of Ethnic History: Black, and Criterion C, in the area of Architecture, both at the local level of significance. The building is not required to meet Criteria Consideration B (Moved Properties) because the building was moved well over fifty years ago, prior to its period of significance.

Local significance of the building:
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 2005.