![\"HenryMadison_2025Reno\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/HenryMadison_2025Reno.jpg\")
<\/p>\nLatest Update<\/p>\n
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was hosted by Austin Parks Foundation and Austin Parks and Recreation on February 19, 2026!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Background<\/p>\n
Born enslaved in 1843 in Memphis, Tennessee, Henry Green Madison made his way to Austin via Bastrop by the early 1860s and married Louisa Green. Shortly after, he built a small cabin at 807 East 11th Street in Austin. Madison was a Unionist, president of the Austin chapter of the Union League, and an active participant in post-Civil War Reconstruction. He served as an assistant at the Texas Constitutional Convention of 1868-69 and worked as a captain of an African American unit in the Sixth Regiment of the Texas State Guard. Madison is notable for being the first African American Austin City Council member,\u00a0appointed by Governor Edmund Davis, from February 1, 1871, until November 28, 1872. Madison went on to serve as a policeman, porter, and farmer, passing away on May 31, 1912, in Austin, where he was buried at Oakwood Cemetery.<\/p>\n
In 1968, a demolition crew discovered the original cabin Madison built that he later enveloped in a larger house. The cabin\u2019s exact construction date is not known but is estimated to be built in 1864 at the latest. The frame house that enclosed the structure was constructed in 1886 presumably by Madison. The owner of the property, Mrs. Greenwood Wooten, worked with the Rosewood Recreation Association and the Delta Sigma Theta Service Sorority to disassemble and relocate the cabin to Rosewood Park in 1973. The Henry G. Madison log cabin was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1974 and a City of Austin Landmark in 1976.<\/p>\n
![\"MadisonCabin_HenryandLouise\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MadisonCabin_HenryandLouise.png\")
<\/p>\n
Project Description<\/p>\n
According to a preliminary conditions assessment completed in 2021, the cabin\u2019s wood was showing signs of deterioration from UV rays, moisture, and insect damage. To preserve the cabin for future generations, the entire structure required architectural and structural improvements, following the Secretary of the Interior\u2019s Standards for the treatment of historic properties.\u00a0Austin Parks Foundation (APF), in partnership with Austin Parks and Recreation, led the restoration effort of the historic log cabin structure.\u00a0The design phase was led by Donna Carter, FAIA, principal of Carter Design Associates.<\/p>\n
Objectives<\/p>\n
Major components of the design scope included:<\/p>\n
Architectural and structural improvements following the Secretary of the Interior\u2019s StandardsWindow and door restorationRepairs to log walls and chinkingRoof replacementLighting improvementsSite and landscape improvements to address Texas Accessibility Standards (TAS) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) complianceSidewalk and hardscape improvementsOperational improvements supporting venue flexibility for future programming\u00a0Project TimelineFall 2024: Design and PermittingWinter 2025: Permitting and BiddingSpring 2025: Construction StartedSummer 2025: Construction CompletedFunding and Resources<\/p>\n
Austin Parks Foundation contributed initial funding of $55,000 to initiate the design phase and has secured additional grant funding for the project from the following sources:<\/p>\n
$4,500 from\u00a0Preservation Austin<\/a>$5,000 from\u00a0Six Square<\/a>$5,000 from\u00a0Summerlee Foundation<\/a>$15,000 from\u00a0Alice Kleberg Reynolds Foundation<\/a>$30,000 from the Heritage Preservation Planning Grant,\u00a0City of Austin<\/a>$80,000 from the Texas Preservation Trust Fund,\u00a0Texas Historical Commission<\/a>$237,000 from the Heritage Preservation Capital Grant,\u00a0City of Austin<\/a>AwardsContact Information<\/p>\n
![\"MadisonCabin_CloseUp\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MadisonCabin_CloseUp.JPEG\")
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