The old Administration Building at Huston-Tillotson College was completed in 1914 with blocks hand-made by the school's students. The white-stucco structure, a rare surviving example of the modified prairie style popularized by Frank Lloyd Wright, was a source of pride for alumni and the East Austin community until the mid-Fifties when it began to deteriorate. A fiscally lean institution, Huston-Tillotson's commitment to the educational needs of its students has always taken precedence over the $2.5 million investment required to completely renovate the building. In 1984, it was declared structurally sound; the City designated it an Austin historic site in 1992 and it was entered in the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. A $25,000 grant from the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau Heritage Marketing Program and the Historic Landmark Commission in May will be used to improve the appearance of the building before its ultimate overall renovation and preservation.
