Norwood Building, Austin, Texas
historic place
The Norwood Building, known today as the Norwood Tower, is a historic place in downtown Austin, Travis County. Completed in 1929, financier Ollie Osborn Norwood initiated its construction. Designed by architects Bertram Giesecke and August Watkins Harris, the Norwood Tower was Austin's tallest commercial building upon its opening. It was also the city's first fully air-conditioned office building and featured Austin's first self-parking ramped auto garage. The building stands as Austin's only Gothic Revival high-rise. In 2006, it was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2011. Notably, during segregation, the private office of maintenance engineer Clarence Odie Williams provided the only public restroom in downtown Austin accessible to African Americans. The Norwood Building is important for its architectural style, its early commercial innovations, and its place in Austin's social history.