Monthly Archives: May 2012

Sense of Place, Part 1

Posted on May 31, 2012 by

The National Trust for Historic Preservation defines sense of place as: Those things that add up to a feeling that a community is a special place, distinct from anywhere else. We don’t know of any “thing” that contributes more to a sense of place than the people who live there and the stories they share. In 2009, when Cynthia Beeman, then-board member of the Texas Oral History Association, presented us with the Mary Faye Barnes … Read more

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Stopping by Crestview Shopping Center

Posted on May 24, 2012 by

Updated January 21, 2025 For more than 70 years, the Crestview Shopping Center has been part of our community. It was built by A. B. Beddow and Ray Yates, developers of the Crestview neighborhood, with the west side completed by 1950. (More about early Austin shopping centers here.) This week, we share a few stories about the center and some of the special people who have worked there and keep it thriving. We’ve also added … Read more

Posted in Community, People, Places, Wall of Welcome Stories

Remembering J. D. Harper of Crestview Pharmacy

Posted on May 15, 2012 by

J. D. Harper, 77, owner of Crestview Pharmacy since 1964, passed away May 11, 2012. His sons Jerry and David continued managing this original Crestview Shopping Center business, which opened in the early 1950s, until February 28, 2017. In April 2004, historian and Brentwood neighbor John Leffler and I talked with Mr. Harper in one of the booths at the pharmacy (once part of a popular soda fountain there). In the interview, Mr. Harper shares … Read more

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Common Ground of Community

Posted on May 3, 2012 by

Updated March 1, 2025 In early 2003, a small group of us neighbors envisioned the very first Violet Crown Festival and a nonprofit, Violet Crown Community Works. Soon, the heart of our efforts became clear. Within five years, we accomplished it all, beginning with the first festival on May 17, 2003, and the four that followed it, all held in Brentwood Park. We raised enough funds for Jean Graham’s mosaic Wall of Welcome to become … Read more

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