Teachers State Association of Texas Building
Also known as: House of Elegance
Why it's listed
Built in 1952 at 1191 Navasota Street in East Austin, this flat-roofed, one-story building of concrete block, stone, concrete and steel was designed by architect John S. Chase. It housed the headquarters of the Teachers State Association of Texas, an organization of Black educators founded in 1884. Until the group dissolved in 1966, it pursued equal salaries for Black teachers, supported the Heman Sweatt case against segregation at the University of Texas, and worked to protect teachers as schools desegregated. Hazel Harvey Peace, a prominent Texas educator, was secretary-treasurer when it was built. Chase, who had been the first African American to enroll at the University of Texas and to become a licensed architect in Texas, gives the building further importance. After 1967 it became a beauty shop, which remains there today and is a community landmark. Metal casement windows, original doors and the floor plan largely survive, giving the building a high level of integrity.
Significance in brief: It served as headquarters of the statewide African-American teachers' association from 1952 to 1966, during segregation and the Civil Rights era. The association worked for equal teacher pay and school desegregation. The building is also tied to educator Hazel Harvey Peace and to architect John S. Chase, a pioneering African-American architect in Texas.
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 05000361, listed April 28, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1191 Navasota, Austin |
|---|---|
| County | Travis County |
| Listed | April 28, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05000361 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1952-1966 |
| Architect / builder | Chase, John Sanders, Sr. |
| Architectural style | Modern Movement/Contemporary |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Black, Social History, Education |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently in use as a beauty salon and barber shop (the House of Elegance), with very few alterations to the exterior or interior. |
| Acreage | 0.4 |
| Within district | Sixth Street Historic District |
| Coordinates | 30.26904, -97.74329 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 05000361.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110002394
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.