The Hollywood

The Hollywood was one of Austin’s oldest documented lesbian bars, operating from the mid-1970s through the 1980s. The original single-story brick structure is no longer standing; however, thanks to efforts by the Historic Landmark Commission (HLC) the architects of the Hotel ZaZa incorporated a reconstructed facade into the ground floor of the new building (look for the tan brick portion on Fourth Street).

The demolition of The Hollywood is a prime example of the loss of significant cultural spaces to rapid development. The Hollywood building holds a rich history that reflects Austin’s evolution from an industrial hub to a center of cultural and social development. Built in 1912, the structure originally served as a warehouse for the National Biscuit Company (Nabisco) and was part of a vibrant industrial area known as the Warehouse District. The area was strategically located near the Congress rail terminus and served as a hub for the distribution of goods. The building itself was a typical example of the brick warehouses that populated this neighborhood, and according to the HLC, at the time of its demolition it had the highest level of architectural integrity and ornamentation of those still standing.

By the late 1960s, the building stood vacant, a symbol of the migration of the industrial sector out of downtown Austin, until the opening of The Hollywood bar in the mid-1970s. It was one of Austin’s earliest lesbian bars (nicknamed “The Hollyweird”) and its programming included nightlife and readings of both dramatic prose and poetry. The opening of The Hollywood signalled a significant shift in the Warehouse District from industrial space to cultural hub. The change contributed to the long list of queer spaces that have come and gone along Fourth Street and established the street as an important hub for the LGBTQIA+ community in Austin.

As Austin continues to rapidly transform into a city dominated by high-rise buildings, the fate of the City’s historic fabric remains uncertain. Development pressures have increasingly threatened the preservation of buildings downtown, including the Warehouse District. Preservation laws are mostly reactive, focus on architectural integrity, and require buildings to be over 50 years old. Within this limited framework, the invisible histories of marginalized communities are often passed over. Moreover, the Historic Landmark Commission can only require the preservation of exteriors, leading to complicated questions of what and how a building should be preserved. In this case, while the original building succumbed to the pressures of a developing city, its facade was reconstructed in the base of the new development, leaving a hint of the past.

As queer spaces are increasingly displaced, the queer community has faced challenges with preserving cultural spaces that have fostered a sense of belonging in a state that seeks to strip the LGBTQIA+ community of its rights. During the historic review process in 2012, The Hollywood was mentioned in the HLC report as a significant business, but the text failed to comment on the building’s queer history. This begs the question of what is important to preserve: culture or architectural integrity? In 2024, the City of Austin adopted an Equity-Based Preservation Plan, which aims to restructure the criteria and framework for preservation and expand the toolset that Austin’s Preservation Office staff can access, with a focus on the cultural heritage of marginalized communities. The change provides hope for the future of preservation in Austin—especially the preservation of queer spaces. – Robbie Anderson