Fannie Davis Gazebo, An Austin Landmark

Noted for its historical and architectural significance, the Fannie Davis Gazebo at Vic Mathias Shores in Town Lake Metropolitan Park was designated a historic landmark by the City of Austin in February of 2025. The gazebo was designed by architect, J. Sterry Nill, to resemble an inverted morning glory flower. The design reflects diverse architectural trends of the 1960s, and playfully references Frank Lloyd Wright’s geometric experimentation and combination of organic materials with modern forms and the rustic park architecture found in central Texas.

The 1969 Town Lake Gazebo was the first public structure built to beautify the south shore of Town Lake, now named Lady Bird Lake, which was created after the construction of Longhorn Dam on the Colorado River in 1960. The Austin Chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), established in the 1950s for women working in the construction industry, spearheaded and raised funds for the project. Thirty-five visionary women in Austin saw the possibility of putting something on the shores for all to enjoy and they dedicated it to the construction industry.

Inspired by Lady Bird Johnson, a national leader in environmental beautification and later the honorary co-chair of the Town Lake Beautification Committee, the Austin chapter began planning and raising money for the structure in 1965. Almost 100 contractors and suppliers enthusiastically supported the gazebo project with donations of materials and labor. The gazebo was dedicated in June 1970, and then in 1984, the structure was named for Fannie Davis, a founding member of the Austin chapter of NAWIC.