Willie Wells House, Austin, Texas
historic place
The Willie Wells House is located at 1705 Newton Street in Austin, Texas. W. B. Loveless built this one-story, side-gabled frame house in 1910. Originally, the house had two rooms with a central passage. It features board and batten siding. This house is significant as the only historic property individually associated with Negro League baseball legend and Austin native, Willie Wells. Wells was raised in this South Austin home from about age five to eighteen, before he was recruited by the St. Louis Stars. His family occupied the house from 1912 to 1970. Willie Wells, born in 1906, became a Hall-of-Fame shortstop, playing from 1924 to 1948 with teams such as the St. Louis Stars and Chicago American Giants. The Willie Wells House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 3, 2021. This modest home is important for its direct connection to a significant figure in American baseball history.