For us? You shouldn’t have.
We think living in Austin is the greatest gift of all, but our city has actually been on the receiving end of quite a few delightful donations. From parks to sculptures and more, check out these four gifts given to the city.
Zilker Park | The land for Austin’s signature park was gifted to the city by businessman Andrew Jackson Zilker in multiple donations from 1917 to 1934, the same year Zilker Park officially earned its name. Happy 90th, Zilker Park.
Pink Granite for the Texas State Capitol | The iconic Texas State Capitol building — which is taller than the US Capitol, by the way — was built using pink granite from Granite Mountain, located just outside of Marble Falls. In 1885, Granite Mountain owners William H. Westfall and Nimrod L. Norton supplied the granite for free, as long as the railroad track used to transport it was extended to the quarry site.
Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial Statue | One of Austin’s most well-known landmarks, this statue on Lady Bird Lake was donated to the city by Vaughan’s family and fan club. For just over 30 years, the statue has marked a site where Vaughan often performed in person.
Robert de Niro’s film archive | The renowned actor from “The Godfather” donated the archive of his film career to the Harry Ransom Center in 2006. At the time, the collection of artifacts was estimated to be worth ~$5 million.
These extraordinary gifts not only add character and value to our city but also show how generosity can have a lasting impact. Do you know of another major gift donated to our city? Let us know.
