Our history begins in the 1,896 square-foot building that housed Austin’s first library, at the
corner of Ninth and Guadalupe Streets. Built in 1926, this small, wood-framed structure was
soon overwhelmed by the demand of its patrons. During this time, the citizens of East Austin,
along with the American Association of University Women, began to petition the city about the
need for a library in their community. As a result, when a larger central library facility was
built in 1933, the original building was moved to its current location on Angelina Street and
later resurfaced in brick veneer.
In its early years, the Angelina Street library was simply known as the “Colored Branch”. In
1947, however, it was christened the George Washington Carver Branch Library in honor of the
inventor and scientist who brought so much pride to African-Americans. For decades, the Carver
Library served the Central-East Austin community, and its patronage and book collection grew
steadily.
As patrons increased and space became limited, the need for a larger Carver Branch Library
became apparent. Through the efforts of the Central-East Austin Citizens for a New Carver
Branch, this issue continued to have a voice. In 1979 a new facility was completed directly
adjacent to the original Carver Library.
As for the original building – the community imagined a museum and community center that would
promote African-American history and achievement in Austin, Travis County, and beyond. On
October 24, 1980, their vision became a reality. What was once Austin’s first library, and
what later became Austin’s first branch library, opened its doors as the George Washington
Carver Museum and Cultural Center, the first African-American neighborhood museum in the state
of Texas.
In a 1998 bond election, the citizens of Austin voted to further expand both the Carver Museum
& Cultural Center and the Carver Branch Library. Today, the museum is housed in a 36,000
square-foot facility that includes four galleries, a conference room, classroom, darkroom,
dance studio, 134-seat theatre, and archival space. The galleries feature a core exhibit on
Juneteenth, a permanent exhibit on Austin African-American families, an Artists Gallery, and a
children’s exhibit on African-American scientists and inventors.
The museum is owned and operated by the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department,
Cultural Affairs Division.
The Carver Museum & Cultural Center is dedicated to the collection, preservation, research and exhibition of African American historical and cultural material reflecting all dimensions of experiences of persons of African descent living in Austin, Travis County, Texas and in the United States. The museum is a key source of information on the history and celebration of Juneteenth.
