Travis County Negro Agricultural Extension Office

Eligible for the National Register, the structure was built around 1903 as the home of the Schieffer family, which operated a neighborhood grocery and meat market through the 1940s. The house served as the office of the Travis County Negro Agricultural Extension Agency (TCNAEA) in the 1950’s and 1960’s. It was a significant statewide agency, the first of its kind in Travis County, and its presence in East Austin was important to the African American community.

As the fortunes of the community declined so did the TCNAEA. In its last incarnation, the building became the East Room, an “after hours” club that was a magnet for a variety of criminal activities. ARA, with the support of the surrounding neighborhoods, purchased the property in 1998 and shut the club down. Responses by police to calls in the area subsequently dropped dramatically. This, in combination with the efforts of the Ebenezer Baptist Church and its economic development corporation, the Austin Police Department and the Anderson Community Development Corporation, helped greatly reduce crime in the area (from over 400 police calls in 1997-1998 to 12 calls in 1999-2000).

ARA rehabilitated the 1,400 square foot building, which holds a historic designation by the City of Austin and the National Register of Historic Places, for use as executive-suite style office space. The rehabilitation of this historic marker was vital to the preservation of the flavor and the culture of this community. In tandem with the many other historic landmarks and sites in the area, TCNAEA attracts heritage tourism to Central East Austin. Tourists patronize restaurants on East 11th Street, see blues and other musical acts at the Victory Grill (a historic landmark), and generally bolster the area’s economy.