E.H. Carrington Grocery Store and Lyons Hall
Austin, Travis County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Built in 1872, this commercial structure housed the successful grocery business of former slave Edward H. Carrington. After his death in 1917, the business was continued by his son-in-law Louis D. Lyons, a trustee of Samuel Huston College, who converted the second floor into a meeting room that became the site of many functions of the Black community. The E.H. Carrington store building features an arcaded facade with Italianate influences. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1983
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Built in 1872, this Italianate commercial building housed the thriving grocery of Edward H. Carrington, a formerly enslaved man who became a successful Austin merchant. After his death in 1917 his son-in-law Louis D. Lyons — a trustee of Samuel Huston College — carried on the business and turned the second floor into a hall that hosted many gatherings of the Black community.
Why it matters
From bondage to a prosperous storefront and community meeting hall, Carrington's building embodies the striving and institution-building of Black Texans after emancipation.
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Related people
- · Edward H. Carrington
- · Louis D. Lyons
Themes & tags
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