Santa Rita Courts
Why it's listed
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.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is the first public housing development completed under the 1937 U.S. Housing Act and is nationally significant under Criteria A and B. It is also tied to Lyndon Baines Johnson, whose advocacy for the project is presented as an early example of his support for civil rights and social justice. It was built for families of Mexican descent during the era of segregated public housing.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 08000319, listed April 17, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by E. 2nd, Pedernales, Santa Rita & Corta Sts., Austin |
|---|---|
| County | Travis County |
| Listed | April 17, 2008 |
| Reference number | 08000319 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1938-1957 |
| Architect / builder | H.F. Kuehne (supervising architect), Giesecke & Harris, Page & Southerland, Kreisle & Brooks |
| Architectural style | Modern Movement: International Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Social History, Politics/Government, Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still functions as public housing; a 2002 renovation was described as historically sensitive and mostly interior. Original flat roofs now have low-gabled shingle roofs and the windows were replaced. |
| Acreage | 3.2 |
| Coordinates | 30.25801, -97.71688 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 08000319.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q109999873
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.