Santa Rita Courts

Santa Rita Courts is a public housing complex in east Austin, Texas, made up of 11 one-story residential buildings and a storage building on about 3.2 acres. Built between November 1938 and June 1939, it was designed by Giesecke & Harris under the supervision of H.F. Kuehne. The buildings follow International Style principles, with parallel rows laid out for light and a central children's play area based on German Zeilenbau planning. It was built for families of Mexican descent, as one of three segregated East Austin projects. The nomination identifies it as the first public housing project completed under the 1937 Housing Act. It also stresses the role of Congressman Lyndon Baines Johnson, who pushed for Austin to be first and who posed with the first family to move in. The project cost far less per unit than the national average. The buildings keep their original site plan, and the complex still serves as public housing today. A later 1954 annex lies outside the listed area.