The Auditorium at Ella Austin

The Ella Austin Community Center occupies an entire city block in Dignowity Hill.  The center is named after Ella Austin an African American woman who founded an orphanage in 1897 and cared for homeless children until 1940. In 1968 the children's home was converted to a multi purpose community center and continues to serve as a neighborhood based social service agency for the Eastside and beyond.

Ella, as the community center is affectionately called, is housed in what used to be Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High School, which was closed as a school in the mid 1960's.  The main building dates back to 1921 and is located in the middle of the Dignowity Hill Historic District.  The building is a historic preservation project waiting to happen. The structure, while in relative good shape, is in need of on going maintenance.  The exterior of the main building still retains much of it's architectural interest with it's oversize windows and doors.  Over the years much of the interior space and old classrooms have been carved out for office space, conference rooms and space for programs such as the day care and after school program.

Ralph Waldo Emerson Inscription

Gated Entrance to Ella

The one interior space that has remained relatively untouched by remodeling efforts is the old school auditorium.  This is a beautiful space with old hardwood flooring, a large stage, high ceilings and amphitheater type seating that slopes down towards the stage. The windows are floor to ceiling with multi pane glass or lites. The seats appear to be the original wooded fold up types no longer seen in schools.   

Entrance to Auditorium off of Pine Street

Auditorium Seating and Windows

Stairway to Balcony

Stage

Old Wooden Seats

Ella is seeing a resurgence in utilization as staff from the Eastside Promise Neighborhood and Choice Grants along with the Urban Strategies Group have recently moved into office space at Ella giving the community center higher visibility.  With this newly generated visibility discussion has turned to the possibility of updating and enhancing the auditorium for use by the community for events like movies, stage plays and gatherings. New lighting, new seating and audio visual equipment could help bring this beautiful space back to life.  However, funding is needed to rehab the auditorium space for community events. Keep Ella in mind, it could use your generosity. 

Antique Piano 

A New Old House

A new old house has arrived in the neighborhood. The house located at 219 4th Street was moved to a lot on Nolan Street in Dignowity Hill. This project had been in the planning stages since last summer when our friend Ruby Casteel and her husband Bruce acquired the house from the First Baptist Church.

The house was originally built in 1885. The lot was sold to Olive Coulson in 1885 with a mechanics lien issued that same year. In 1892 the property was sold to Francis Smith.  It was then sold Mary A Rigsby in 1899 who lived in the house until 1915. Mary Rigsby was the mother of William C Rigsby and Nellie Rigsby (Mrs Ben Hammond). William Rigsby and Ben Hammond were major investors in the development of Highland Park. If you drive around the Highland Park area you will see the streets named after Rigsby and Hammond. The property was owned by the Rigsby family until 1944. Eventually the house was bought by the church. The house features great architectural details.  The original wood clad siding was covered in asbestos cladding.  The original wooden windows are intact along with the wooden screens. The house has high ceilings, transoms and wood floors.

The house before the move.

219 4th Street

Front Porch

Beautiful Window

Window Detail

It took the house moving crew several days to prep the house for the move. The house was lifted off its foundation and then fitted with heavy duty tires to move the structure down the road. In order to make the move through downtown and neighborhood streets the roof was taken off and the house was cut into two large sections.

Prepping for the move

On Wheels

Half a House

Roof Sliced off

Gable

The actual move was made in two trips as the two sections of the house were moved from its original site to its new home in Dignowity Hill. It was amazing seeing this 129 year old house hoisted on large steel mobile girders rolling through parts of the downtown area.

Getting Ready to Move

Pulling off the lot

Squeezing through Nolan Street

Making the turn onto its new site

Made it!

The second section of the house followed about an hour later. The two sections were eventually "married" to make the house whole again. Next steps will take care of getting the foundation in place and replacing the roof.  Eventually the entire house will be restored and rehabbed. At this point we are all happy the the project went off without a hitch, a testament to the expertise of Dodson House Moving crew.  It safe to say that Ruby and her husband Bruce have become instant celebrities in the neighborhood for saving such a grand old dame and bringing her to Dignowity Hill!

Second section of the house is joined to the first section

Working on the foundation

Ruby and Bruce with the Dodson's

Reflections: Being a Community Leader

I recently stepped down as the president of the Dignowity Hill Neighborhood Association. After five years of serving in that role I welcome the change. It's time for some else to pull this cart! Don't get me wrong I have truly enjoyed being in that role. During my stint I met many wonderful people, dealt with interesting and challenging issues and hopefully gained some wisdom of how to be a leader in a changing community.  When I stepped into the president's role in April 2009 it was with a great deal of naivete and plenty of apprehension. Being relatively new to the Eastside I wasn't sure how I would fit into the dynamics of the Eastside and our neighborhood. Little that I realized at the time that Dignowity Hill was at the cusp of a sea change that would go beyond our neighborhood.

I can list a number of significant events that happened during my turn as as president.  For example the re-opening of the historic Hays Street Bridge, Alamo Brewery getting the nod to build next to the Hays Street Bridge, the Eastside Economic Summits, Historic Street signs were installed,  the Eastside Promise Neighborhood and Choice grants were awarded to the city, and the progression in the re-vitalization of Dignowity Hill accelerated.  During this time we also adopted a neighborhood and reinvestment plan.  Many if not all of these initiatives were all ready in the works or were a result of political decisions to make things happen. I just happened to be at the right place, at the right time.

Hays Street Bridge

Being president of a community organization such as a neighborhood association is a rewarding, humbling and frustrating experience all rolled up into one package.   Neighborhood associations are the rawest form of democracy where folks can voice an opinion as part of the civic process that can shape a neighborhood and influence elected officials.  Being in a leadership role of a neighborhood association role requires patience, perseverance, a thick skin, good organizational and leadership skills. Mostly, you need a willingness to serve, be accessible, responsive and have the ability to connect with people.  For those of you out there that aspire to serve as president of your neighborhood association here are some insights that I gained over the last 5 years:

Relationships Matter
Never underestimate the power of relationships and good will. Always keep in mind that people matter and so do their concerns.You may have the title of president and have multiple degrees or certificates but they don't mean a thing if can't connect with people. That means following up when someone calls you about a concern or a complaint. The little things matter. Common sense matters.   Credibility is the bottom line and you earn that by treating people with respect and dignity.

Community Fair in Dignowity Park-2009

Be Flexible
All organizations need structure and neighborhood associations are typically govern by a set of by laws. Learn the by laws and follow them without becoming rigid in your thinking. You need to find a balance between structure and letting things happen organically. In a changing neighborhood like Dignowity people need to feel that they are part of a movement and that their voice matters. It's good to have structured agendas for meetings and committees that do specific tasks but you also need to feel comfortable with the ambiguity that comes when people are allowed to be creative. Not all neighborhoods are alike and Dignowity stands out, at least for now, as a neighborhood where diversity and eclectic notions blend nicely as residents still feel the need to build community.

Learn the Regs
Serving as president of a neighborhood association is an education in zoning ordinances, code compliance, city and county government policies and bureaucratic acronyms. If you happen to live in a historic district then you need to gain some understanding of design guidelines and become familiar with preservation issues. Never stop learning!   

Dig into the Issues
Learn as much as you can about whatever issue is affecting your neighborhood. For example, gentrification has become a hot topic for urban core neighborhoods such as Dignowity as revitalization efforts or zoning changes are starting to change the face of the neighborhood.  In fill housing, the quality of our schools, public safety, and quality of life issues are topics that are neighborhood agenda issues especially in an urban core neighborhood.  In a historic district like Dignowity you need to evaluate how historic preservation issues and design guidelines can impact a neighborhood economically.  Layer that with developers looking to build new construction in your historic district and immediately a tension forms. Your life just got more interesting! 

Advocate or Activist

Will you be an advocate or activist when comes to your neighborhood association? These two terms are often used interchangeably but there is a difference in their definitions.  An advocate is typically one who speaks on behalf of a group or another person.  An activist is an individual who makes an intentional action to bring about social or political change.  I saw myself more of an advocate than an activist especially in the role of representing the neighborhood association's interests either in the media or in forums where public relations are important. On the flip side, you will more than likely have to deal with the activists in your group. Not a bad thing, it tends to keep things real!

It's Not Personal
Neighborhood politics tend to be raw and at times unfiltered.  In the time I served as president I was harangued, demonized, and generally disliked by folks that were on opposite sides of an issue. This was especially true during the period when the brewery project became such a hot topic.  I had to acknowledge that the criticism directed towards me was not personal. It comes with the territory of being the face of the neighborhood and supporting the positions that the association takes. It's not personal!

Leadership Style
The thoughts I mention above are rooted in emergent leadership. I think that approach can serve any aspiring community leader.  Emergent leaders are comfortable with not knowing all the answers. They typically seek consensus and behave more like a coach than a general. They share information freely and communicate clearly. They are energetic and tend to inspire others into action. They tend to be empathetic and compassionate. Collaboration is usually a favorite approach to getting things done because they see the value of multiple perspectives.
Does this style fit everyone? It depends on an individual's temperament, skill set and the lens through which one sees the world. In end what may matter most is to be comfortable with yourself, try not to step on any cow patties and have fun! When it's time to step aside you do so with grace.

As I mentioned, I really do welcome the chance to sit back a bit. I was fortunate to be a part of the initial wave of revitalization of the Eastside and my stint was truly a great ride. My hope is that things will continue to move forward, especially for the neighborhoods.  I feel that perceptions are beginning to turn positive for the Eastside and our neighborhood.
I'll still be involved as I serve on other boards related to Eastside activities.....but..... in the meantime, perhaps I can convince my wife to buy that Teardrop trailer and hit the road for a spell!