6th Street
Encyclopedia
Sixth Street is a historic street and entertainment district in Austin
, Texas
. It is located within the city's urban core in Downtown Austin
. Sixth Street was formerly named Pecan Street under Austin's older naming convention, which had east-west streets named after trees and north-south streets named after Texas rivers (the latter convention remains in place).
The nine-block area of East Sixth Street roughly between Lavaca Street to the west and Interstate 35
to the east is recognized as the Sixth Street Historic District and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places
on December 30, 1975. Developed as one of Austin's trade and commercial districts in the late 1900s, the predominant building style are two or three-story masonry Victorian
commercial architecture
. Most structures in the area had already been built by the 1880s, though there are a few notable exceptions such as the Driskill Hotel
(1886), the Scarbrough Building (1910) and the Littlefield Building.
The area around nearby 4th Street and 6th Street has been a major entertainment district since the 1970s. Many bars
, clubs
, music
venues, and shopping destinations are located on E. 6th Street between Congress Avenue
and Interstate 35
and many offer live music at one time or another during the week. Traffic is generally blocked on E. 6th Street and most crossroads from I-35 to Brazos Street on weekend evenings, and football home games (depending on pedestrian traffic), as well as holidays and special events to allow the crowds to walk unfettered to the many venues that line the street.
E. Sixth Street plays host to a wide variety of events each year, ranging from music
and film festival
s (such as South by Southwest
) to biker
rallies (such as The Republic of Texas Biker Rally
) and the Pecan Street Festival
.
The area of Sixth Street west of Lavaca is known as the West 6th Street District. Recently, there has been a growing movement to develop this area as an entertainment district of its own, geared toward the live music crowd.
that was bisected by Congress Avenue
running north-south. The Bastrop
Highway linking the town earlier settlements in East Texas
was charted in 1839 and chose the route into Austin along Pecan Street. The stagecoach
followed this route when it arrived in Austin in 1840 and used the Bullock Hotel at the northwest corner of Pecan and Congress as the stage stop. The Bullock, built in 1839 by Richard Bullock, was a complex of log building swhich served as the quasi-formal and informal meeting place in Austin for several years. That particular intersection quickly became the focal point of town life.
The town grew like a cross up and down Congress and Pecan. Pecan had an obvious advantage for development. The street was far enough from the river to escape flooding, which occasionally spread as far as Cypress Street (3rd Street), and it was the last east-west street flat enough for wagons and pedestrians to travel comfortably. Following an explosive growth in town population between 1850 and 1860, Pecan soon contained not only log
and frame houses, but also was lined with wagon yards, livery stables and saloons to meet the needs of travelers.
While the Civil War interrupted Sixth Street's growth in the 1860s, the two subsequent were the height of Sixth Street's importance as a commercial center. The arrival of the railroad in 1871 was very much to Sixth Street's benefit, as some of Austin's most prestigious business enterprises were located here to be near the railroad depot. Lots along the street were in great demand and fine two- and three-story limestone
Victorian
commercial structures began to line the streets where one-story frame buildings or vacant lots had been.
During the late 1880s, however, Congress Avenue began to preempt Sixth Street as the most fashionable shopping destination in the city. The new Capitol
building was being built at the head of Congress and most businesses catering to city-dwellers and/or a state government clientele moved to a Congress location. Sixth Street, on the other hand, continued to function as a site for offices, warehouses, and showrooms of businesses utilizing the railroad, as well as to businesses catering to farmers or other travelers. In 1886, the famous four-story Driskill Hotel
was completed at 122 E. 6th Street. Called the "the finest hotel south of St. Louis," the hotel was built in a Romanesque Revival
style.Jesse Driskill, a cattleman who spent his fortune constructing "the finest hotel south of St. Louis
".
Scarbrough and Hicks department store, founded on the southwest corner of 6th and Congress in 1893, decided to remain in this same location in 1909 when it undertook the construction of Austin's first modern skyscraper; the Scarborough Building is an eight-story brick building in the Commercial style. George Littlefield chose the northeast corner of that intersection in 1911 when for a nine-story brick and limestone building be built to house his American Bank.
A biracial character was evident along Sixth Street during this period of development, although it became more pronounced in the 1890s and early 1900s. For example, a black physician had an office in the 300 block of East Sixth, and several businesses on the north side of the 400 and 500 blocks were operated by blacks and catered to Austin's black community. By the early 20th century, racial and ethnic diversity had become one of Sixth Street's most striking characteristics. Lebanese businesses also began to appear on 6th Street in the 1890's. One of the first Lebanese immigrants to Austin, Cater Joseph, opened a confectionery on Congress in the 1880's. The Joseph family still maintains a business on East 6th Street, as do several other Lebanese and Syrian families who founded businesses there in the early 20th century. By 1940 there were businesses on 6th Street owned by blacks, Jewish, German, Chinese and Mexican-Americans as well.
A steady erosion of the commercial importance of the East 6th Street area occurred in the 1940's and particularly accelerated after World War II
. There was a proliferation of second-hand stores, chain and discount stores catering to a lower-income clientele, followed by an increasing number of vacated buildings. A skid-row atmosphere was fostered in the 1950's and 1960's by the multiplying number of pawn shops, loan companies and bars in the area. However, a number of owner-operated businesses kept the area alive for commercial activity.
The Ritz
, a historic theatre, open its doors on 320 E. 6th Street in 1929. Throughout its history the Ritz was used as a movie theater, music hall, club, comedy house and more. It reopened after renovations in fall 2007 as the new downtown location for the Alamo Drafthouse
. On March 20, 2007, the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
announced that they would be relocating their downtown cinema, which was the original theater opened in 1997, to the Ritz. They began construction on April 1, 2007 to revive the Ritz as a movie theater.
In 1978, the Pecan Street Festival was started and included local food and art vendors along with bands from the surrounding area, establishing a community event for cultural preservation and creativity. Due to the festival’s positive turnout, the celebration became a biannual spring and fall tradition, honoring 6th Street’s original name, Pecan Street. In the past the event has attracted more than 300,000 people, generating an economic impact of around $43 million in 2010.
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. It is located within the city's urban core in Downtown Austin
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, 11th Street and sometimes Martin Luther King, Jr...
. Sixth Street was formerly named Pecan Street under Austin's older naming convention, which had east-west streets named after trees and north-south streets named after Texas rivers (the latter convention remains in place).
The nine-block area of East Sixth Street roughly between Lavaca Street to the west and Interstate 35
Interstate 35
Interstate 35 is a north–south Interstate Highway in the central United States. I-35 stretches from Laredo, Texas, on the U.S.-Mexico border to Duluth, Minnesota, at Minnesota Highway 61 and 26th Avenue East. Many interstates used to have splits or spurs indicated with suffixed letters , but I-35...
to the east is recognized as the Sixth Street Historic District and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on December 30, 1975. Developed as one of Austin's trade and commercial districts in the late 1900s, the predominant building style are two or three-story masonry Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
commercial architecture
Chicago school (architecture)
Chicago's architecture is famous throughout the world and one style is referred to as the Chicago School. The style is also known as Commercial style. In the history of architecture, the Chicago School was a school of architects active in Chicago at the turn of the 20th century...
. Most structures in the area had already been built by the 1880s, though there are a few notable exceptions such as the Driskill Hotel
Driskill Hotel
The Driskill Hotel, a Romanesque style building completed in 1886, is the oldest operating hotel in Austin, Texas, USA, and one of the best-known hotels in Texas generally. The Driskill was conceived and built by Col. Jesse Driskill, a cattleman who spent his fortune constructing "the finest hotel...
(1886), the Scarbrough Building (1910) and the Littlefield Building.
The area around nearby 4th Street and 6th Street has been a major entertainment district since the 1970s. Many bars
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
, clubs
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
, music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
venues, and shopping destinations are located on E. 6th Street between Congress Avenue
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 downtown....
and Interstate 35
Interstate 35 in Texas
Interstate 35 in Texas is a major north–south Interstate Highway running from Laredo near the United States-Mexico border to the Red River north of Gainesville where it crosses into Oklahoma. Along its route, it passes through the cities of San Antonio, Austin, and Waco before it splits into two...
and many offer live music at one time or another during the week. Traffic is generally blocked on E. 6th Street and most crossroads from I-35 to Brazos Street on weekend evenings, and football home games (depending on pedestrian traffic), as well as holidays and special events to allow the crowds to walk unfettered to the many venues that line the street.
E. Sixth Street plays host to a wide variety of events each year, ranging from music
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
and film festival
Film festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
s (such as South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
) to biker
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
rallies (such as The Republic of Texas Biker Rally
Republic of Texas Biker Rally
The Republic of Texas Biker Rally is the biggest motorcycle rally in Texas. It is the fourth largest motorcycle rally of any kind in the U.S....
) and the Pecan Street Festival
Pecan Street Festival
The Pecan Street Festival is the common name for the Old Pecan Street Spring and Fall Arts Festival, a free, bi-annual juried fine art and arts and crafts festival held on 6th Street in Austin, Texas...
.
The area of Sixth Street west of Lavaca is known as the West 6th Street District. Recently, there has been a growing movement to develop this area as an entertainment district of its own, geared toward the live music crowd.
History
Austin was planned on a 15-block grid plan developed by Edwin WallerEdwin Waller
Judge Edwin Waller was an entrepreneur, signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence, the first mayor of Austin, Texas, and the designer of its downtown grid plan....
that was bisected by Congress Avenue
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 downtown....
running north-south. The Bastrop
Bastrop, Texas
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there are 5340 people in Bastrop, organized into 2034 households and 1336 families. The population density is 734.8 people per square mile . There are 2,239 housing units at an average density of 308.1 per square mile...
Highway linking the town earlier settlements in East Texas
East Texas
East Texas is a distinct geographic and ecological area in the U.S. state of Texas.According to the Handbook of Texas, the East Texas area "may be separated from the rest of Texas roughly by a line extending from the Red River in north central Lamar County southwestward to east central Limestone...
was charted in 1839 and chose the route into Austin along Pecan Street. The stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
followed this route when it arrived in Austin in 1840 and used the Bullock Hotel at the northwest corner of Pecan and Congress as the stage stop. The Bullock, built in 1839 by Richard Bullock, was a complex of log building swhich served as the quasi-formal and informal meeting place in Austin for several years. That particular intersection quickly became the focal point of town life.
The town grew like a cross up and down Congress and Pecan. Pecan had an obvious advantage for development. The street was far enough from the river to escape flooding, which occasionally spread as far as Cypress Street (3rd Street), and it was the last east-west street flat enough for wagons and pedestrians to travel comfortably. Following an explosive growth in town population between 1850 and 1860, Pecan soon contained not only log
Log cabin
A log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...
and frame houses, but also was lined with wagon yards, livery stables and saloons to meet the needs of travelers.
While the Civil War interrupted Sixth Street's growth in the 1860s, the two subsequent were the height of Sixth Street's importance as a commercial center. The arrival of the railroad in 1871 was very much to Sixth Street's benefit, as some of Austin's most prestigious business enterprises were located here to be near the railroad depot. Lots along the street were in great demand and fine two- and three-story limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
commercial structures began to line the streets where one-story frame buildings or vacant lots had been.
During the late 1880s, however, Congress Avenue began to preempt Sixth Street as the most fashionable shopping destination in the city. The new Capitol
Texas State Capitol
The Texas State Capitol is located in Austin, Texas, and is the fourth building to be the house of Texas government in Austin. It houses the chambers of the Texas Legislature and the office of the governor of Texas. It was designed originally during 1881 by architect Elijah E. Myers, and was...
building was being built at the head of Congress and most businesses catering to city-dwellers and/or a state government clientele moved to a Congress location. Sixth Street, on the other hand, continued to function as a site for offices, warehouses, and showrooms of businesses utilizing the railroad, as well as to businesses catering to farmers or other travelers. In 1886, the famous four-story Driskill Hotel
Driskill Hotel
The Driskill Hotel, a Romanesque style building completed in 1886, is the oldest operating hotel in Austin, Texas, USA, and one of the best-known hotels in Texas generally. The Driskill was conceived and built by Col. Jesse Driskill, a cattleman who spent his fortune constructing "the finest hotel...
was completed at 122 E. 6th Street. Called the "the finest hotel south of St. Louis," the hotel was built in a Romanesque Revival
Romanesque Revival architecture
Romanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
style.Jesse Driskill, a cattleman who spent his fortune constructing "the finest hotel south of St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
".
Scarbrough and Hicks department store, founded on the southwest corner of 6th and Congress in 1893, decided to remain in this same location in 1909 when it undertook the construction of Austin's first modern skyscraper; the Scarborough Building is an eight-story brick building in the Commercial style. George Littlefield chose the northeast corner of that intersection in 1911 when for a nine-story brick and limestone building be built to house his American Bank.
A biracial character was evident along Sixth Street during this period of development, although it became more pronounced in the 1890s and early 1900s. For example, a black physician had an office in the 300 block of East Sixth, and several businesses on the north side of the 400 and 500 blocks were operated by blacks and catered to Austin's black community. By the early 20th century, racial and ethnic diversity had become one of Sixth Street's most striking characteristics. Lebanese businesses also began to appear on 6th Street in the 1890's. One of the first Lebanese immigrants to Austin, Cater Joseph, opened a confectionery on Congress in the 1880's. The Joseph family still maintains a business on East 6th Street, as do several other Lebanese and Syrian families who founded businesses there in the early 20th century. By 1940 there were businesses on 6th Street owned by blacks, Jewish, German, Chinese and Mexican-Americans as well.
A steady erosion of the commercial importance of the East 6th Street area occurred in the 1940's and particularly accelerated after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. There was a proliferation of second-hand stores, chain and discount stores catering to a lower-income clientele, followed by an increasing number of vacated buildings. A skid-row atmosphere was fostered in the 1950's and 1960's by the multiplying number of pawn shops, loan companies and bars in the area. However, a number of owner-operated businesses kept the area alive for commercial activity.
The Ritz
Ritz (Austin, Texas)
The Ritz is a historic theater in the 6th Street district in Austin, Texas. The building's history includes use as a movie theater, music hall, club, and comedy house. It reopened after renovations in fall 2007 as the new downtown location for the Alamo Drafthouse.-History:The Ritz was built in...
, a historic theatre, open its doors on 320 E. 6th Street in 1929. Throughout its history the Ritz was used as a movie theater, music hall, club, comedy house and more. It reopened after renovations in fall 2007 as the new downtown location for the Alamo Drafthouse
Alamo Drafthouse
The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is an American cinema chain founded in 1997 in Austin, Texas, United States. It has screens in nine locations across Texas and one in Winchester, Virginia...
. On March 20, 2007, the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
Alamo Drafthouse
The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is an American cinema chain founded in 1997 in Austin, Texas, United States. It has screens in nine locations across Texas and one in Winchester, Virginia...
announced that they would be relocating their downtown cinema, which was the original theater opened in 1997, to the Ritz. They began construction on April 1, 2007 to revive the Ritz as a movie theater.
Pecan Street Festival
Until the 1970s, Sixth Street was in decline and downtown was scarcely populated, with abandoned buildings scattered about. A pioneering group of Austinites known as the Old Pecan Street Association was instrumental in reclaiming the downtown space and starting renovation of the old buildings. The association needed adequate funding for restoration costs and bringing a street fair to life was a solution to their problems.In 1978, the Pecan Street Festival was started and included local food and art vendors along with bands from the surrounding area, establishing a community event for cultural preservation and creativity. Due to the festival’s positive turnout, the celebration became a biannual spring and fall tradition, honoring 6th Street’s original name, Pecan Street. In the past the event has attracted more than 300,000 people, generating an economic impact of around $43 million in 2010.