Zilker Park Historic District
a.k.a. Zilker Metropolitan Park;Zilker Park;Barton Springs;Barton S
2100 Barton Springs Rd., Austin, TXThe Zilker Park Historic District represents the centerpiece of Austin's renowned park system. Austin resident Andew J. Zilker deeded the land to the city of Austin in a series of three agreements that eventually led to the formation of Austin's parks system. Zilker Park evolved between 1917 and 1939, shaped by two distinct trends in American park design—the Reform Park Movement and the Depression-inspired era of public works. At the time of its creation, Zilker Park represented the latest trends in park design and conservation. Today, the park continues to inspire progressive environmental policy and remains an indelible part of Austin's recreation and conservation history. The Zilker Park Historic District achieves significance under Criterion A in the areas of Conservation and Entertainment/Recreation at the local level of significance for its association with the development and design of municipal parks in Austin during the early 20th century, through federally-funded relief, conservation, and employment programs of the Great Depression, and for its role as a popular recreation area in Austin for more than 60 years. The district also meets Criterion C in the areas of Architecture and Landscape Architecture at the local level of significance for its numerous elements that represent a designed landscape type relating to the Reform Park Movement design philosophy and construction methods of Depression-era public works programs.
Local significance of the district:Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1997.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.