Austin, Texas story
E.H. Carrington's Grocery, a Black-Owned Anchor on Sixth
Discover the story of Edward H. Carrington and D.H. Lyons, who ran one of Austin's first Black-owned groceries on East Sixth Street from 1873 into the 1940s.
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Across from today's Esther's Follies stood one of Austin's first Black-owned groceries. In 1873, a formerly enslaved man named Edward H. Carrington opened his grocery store here at 520 East Sixth Street.
In an era of intense segregation, Carrington built more than just a shop; he established a vital monument to Black entrepreneurship. For over thirty years, Carrington ran the business right here. Later, his son-in-law, D.
H. Lyons, took over, keeping the grocery thriving all the way into the 1940s. Lyons became such an influential, trusted figure in the neighborhood that locals affectionately called him the 'black mayor of Sixth Street.' Today, the historic Carrington Grocery Store and Lyons Hall building still stands as a powerful reminder of the Black pioneers who anchored this community.
As you continue down Sixth, imagine the decades of bustling neighborhood life that once centered right on this very block.
Updated June 2026