Travis Heights is a historic neighborhood in south Austin,

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, bounded by

Lady Bird Lake Lady Bird Lake (formerly, and still colloquially referred to as Town Lake) is a river-like reservoir on the Colorado River in Austin, Texas, United States. The City of Austin created the reservoir in 1960 as a cooling pond for a new city power pl ...

on the north,

Interstate 35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican border ...

on the east,

Congress Avenue Congress Avenue is a major thoroughfare in Austin, Texas. The street is a six-lane, tree lined avenue that cuts through the middle of the city from far south Austin and goes over Lady Bird Lake leading to the Texas State Capitol in the heart of ...

on the west and Oltorf Street on the south. These boundaries include Fairview Park, an earlier suburb associated with the same developers, running from the west side of Blunn Creek to South Congress Avenue. Part of Travis Heights was stranded east of Interstate 35; many of the same streets to be found west of the highway continue east of it. It was founded in 1912 by Newning, Swisher and General Stacy, but development did not expand rapidly until the 1920s. The city park located along Blunn Creek in Travis Heights was donated by Stacy and bears his name, Stacy Park, as does the "Big Stacy" spring-fed pool and the "Little Stacy" park and swimming pool, built as a WPA project during the Great Depression. Originally conceived as an exclusive district for the wealthy, the adjacent development of Fairview Park was first developed in the late 19th century, but did not really take off. It was not until the 1920s when Travis Heights was developed next to it, that life south of the river was a reasonable venture. Now, with a great mix of mansions, smaller homes, and hip apartments, Travis Heights is among the most desirable residential neighborhoods in Austin. Proximity to

South Congress South Congress (abbreviated SoCo) is a neighborhood located on South Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas, United States. It is also a nationally known shopping and cultural district known for its many eclectic small retailers, restaurants, music and a ...

Downtown Austin Downtown Austin is the central business district of Austin, Texas. Downtown is located on the north bank of the Colorado River. The approximate borders of Downtown include Lamar Boulevard to the west, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and the U ...

, and the major freeways also make Travis Heights one of the best-positioned areas in South Austin. Another attraction of the neighborhood is its closeness to the newly rejuvenated South Congress Avenue, many times called SoCo. South Congress is full of hip cafes and stores, and attracts many tourists and young professionals from downtown. Blunn Creek Nature Preserve is almost 40 acres in Travis Heights, central South Austin, with trails and historical plaques. Details of the history, including the natural history, of the creek and preserve can be found at this Austin Parks & Recreation web site. Travis Heights and Fairview Park are currently seeking designation as a Local Historic District and National Register Historic District.

Education

The neighborhood is zoned to the

Austin Independent School District Austin Independent School District (AISD) is a school district based in the city of Austin, Texas, United States. Established in 1881, the district serves most of the City of Austin and surrounding towns, the City of Sunset Valley, the Village ...

(AISD). * Travis Heights Elementary School * Sarah Lively Middle School ** It was previously Fulmore Middle School, after former

Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...

soldier and judge of Travis County Zachary Taylor Fulmore. In 1886 a one room schoolhouse was made, and in 1911 its brick replacement arrived, with the Fulmore naming coming at that time. Alumni who attended in the 1960s through the 1980s, wishing to have a name not related to a Confederate figure, suggested naming the school after longtime teacher Sarah Ann Lively, who began teaching there in 1964. In 2018 six AISD board members voted to rename the school, one opposed, and one abstained. Lively died at age 88 on January 4, 2021. * Travis High School

References

External links

Travis Heights-Fairview Park Historic District Project
{{coord, 30, 14, 30, N, 97, 44, 30, W, display=title, type:city_dim:1000_region:US-TX Neighborhoods in Austin, Texas