Hezikiah Haskell House
Amenities & Accessibility:
Child Friendly
Free Admission
The Hezikiah Haskell House, located at 1703 Waterston Avenue, stands as a visible reminder of Clarksville’s historic and cultural roots and of the struggles of the former slaves who created Clarksville as an oasis of freedom, community and dignity. The House is a State of Texas and City of Austin Historic Landmark and the oldest registered structure in Clarksville.
In about 1875, Peter Tucker and his wife, Betty, bought land from Clara and Max Maas, two White real estate speculators. The Tuckers paid $100 for the property and built a home there, which is now known as the Hezikiah Haskell House. Tucker had been enslaved by former Texas Governor Elisha Pease and his wife Lucadia who owned the Woodlawn Plantation. The plantation house still stands at the corner of Niles and Pease Road and is commonly referred to as the Pease Mansion.
The Tucker's home was located in Clarksville, an early Texas Freedom Colony that was founded by former slave Charles Clark. Its architecture is typical of the simple homes that residents of the Clarksville community built during its early years.
The Tuckers later sold their home to Edwin and Mary Smith, who raised their family there. Mary was the sister of Charles Clark and one of the founders of the Sweet Home Missionary Baptist Church, which became the focal point of the social and religious lives of Clarksville residents.
Like many early Clarksville residents, the Smiths took in boarders to help make ends meet. One of them was Hezikiah Haskell, a former Union soldier and a Buffalo Soldier. He and the Smith's daughter Catherine fell in love and married after which the Smiths deeded their home to the couple and built a new home for themselves. The Haskell's son Hezikiah Junior died in the home in the late 1970s after which the House became the site of a senior lunch program and later a museum about the history of Clarksville as well as a community and event space.
Museum Day
https://www.clarksvillecdc.org
Facebook: @clarksvillecommunitydevelopmentcorporation
Instagram: @clarksvillecdc_austin
11am - 4pm
Docent-guided tours of the historic Hezikiah Haskell House. "Soul Man Sam" will perform from 2pm - 3pm. Free refreshments and fun activities for kids and adults.
