US Route 66-Sixth Street Historic District

Sixth Avenue, locally called Sixth Street, runs through the San Jacinto Heights Addition west of downtown Amarillo, and a 13-block stretch of it forms a historic district tied to U.S. Route 66. The street was platted in 1909 but saw little building until gravel paving in 1921 improved the Ozark Trail route. After Route 66 was designated in 1926, shops, service stations, cafes and bungalows went up to serve both neighborhood residents and travelers. Most buildings are modest one-part commercial blocks, with Spanish Colonial Revival, Art Deco and Art Moderne details. A 1942 street widening altered some storefronts, and the highway moved off the street in 1953. Of 116 resources, 83 contribute to the district, including the roadway, Depression-era sidewalks and a hanging traffic light. It was recognized as Amarillo's most intact collection of buildings associated with the highway, with a period of significance of 1921 to 1953.