Abner Hugh Cook
Austin, Travis County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(Mar. 20, 1814 - Feb. 21, 1884) A native of North Carolina, Abner Cook came to the newly created capital city of Austin in 1839 with a skill in design and construction that soon earned him the title of master builder. Working as architect, engineer, and contractor, Cook produced some of the finest public buildings and Greek Revival homes in Texas, including the Governor's Mansion and the Neill-Cochran House (2310 San Gabriel, Austin). A charter member of Austin's First Presbyterian Church, Abner Cook died soon after completing work on the Old Main building (now razed) on the University of Texas campus. (1985)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Arriving in the raw new capital of Austin in 1839, North Carolina native Abner Cook brought skills in design and building that earned him the title of master builder. Working as architect, engineer, and contractor, he raised some of the finest Greek Revival buildings in Texas, including the Governor's Mansion and the Neill-Cochran House. A founding member of Austin's First Presbyterian Church, he died in 1884 soon after completing the University of Texas's Old Main.
Why it matters
Cook literally built the face of the Texas capital, giving a frontier republic the dignified public architecture of an established American state.
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