National Trust Lists Lions Muny For Historic Preservation

The National Trust for Historic Preservation says Muny is a civil rights landmark, aiding the "Save Muny" fight to preserve Austin's Lions Municipal. The course faces redevelopment by the University of Texas, which owns the land and leases it back to the city of Austin.

Ralph Haurwitz of the Austin American Statesman reports the positive news.

The National Trust, a private, nonprofit organization based in Washington, also included El Paso’s Chihuahuita and El Segundo Barrio Neighborhoods on its annual list of 11 sites. The core of that city’s cultural identity is threatened with demolition of homes and small businesses, the group said.

Lions Municipal, also known as Muny, is considered one of the earliest municipal golf courses in the former Confederate states to be desegregated, if not the first. At the recommendation of the Texas Historical Commission, the National Park Service added Muny to the National Register of Historic Places in July.