The Old Judges Hill area incorporates a number of properties that are designated as History Landmarks. These properties were all originally built as residences and most are still in use as residential properties today. The boundaries are not yet finalized for the Local Historic District but these pages highlight the historic properties within the "Old Judges Hill" area.
Landmark designations include:
Navigate these pages using the links to the right to view landmark properties by street as well as details on individual landmarks.
Established in 1851 as Austin's original city neighborhood, the Old Judges Hill area contributes significantly to the historical appreciation of Austin. Old Judges Hill is still the setting for many handsome single-family homes built more than 75 years ago, with many residents who have occupied the dwellings for more than 50 years. The proposed district is located north of the central business district of downtown Austin on the eastern bluff overlooking Pease Park, bordered by Rio Grande Avenue, 12th Street, Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd and Lamar.
In 1839, the Congress of the Republic of Texas condemned land surrounding the village of Waterloo (now known as the City of Austin), offering the grant holders land elsewhere in Texas as compensation. The City of Austin was founded when sovereignty and initial ownerships were established. Many of the homes in the Old Judge’s Hill area are part of the Republic of Texas Outlots 10 and 11, Division E, later approved for sale as City of Austin Lots in 1850 by the State of Texas Legislature and by Governor Bell in1852.
In 1851, Judge Elijah Sterling Clark Robertson built the district's first home near the corner of 18th and San Gabriel. The house was subsequently demolished in 1966. Judge Robertson was the first among neighborhood resident judges and attorneys who earned the area the name of Judges Hill. From its inception, Judges Hill was home to many prominent Austin citizens including but not limited to: