Chartered in 1877, HBCU Huston-Tillotson University is the oldest institution of higher learning in Austin. The campus, which consists of 16 buildings added to the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district in 2022, is a major part of the rich heritage of East Austin. The architecture embodies a narrative of empowerment and determination. Some of the buildings were designed by Kuehne, Brooks, & Barr and iterations of that firm, while others were envisioned and constructed by the very individuals who would come to inhabit and enrich them—the students.