Brizendine House
Austin, Travis County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This simple vernacular rough ashlar house represents the life style of the late 19th century working middle class family in Austin. The exterior proportions of the structure reflect Victorian influence. Built of limestone about 1870 by John R. Brizendine (1829-1914), an Austin carpenter, machinist, and miller. Brizendine, a native of Kentucky, lived here until his death. Mrs.Elizabeth Gordon bought the home in 1928, and members of here family lived here until 1972. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark-1974
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This modest limestone house, built around 1870, reflects the life of Austin's working middle class in the late 19th century, dressed up with Victorian proportions. It was built by John R. Brizendine, a Kentucky-born carpenter, machinist, and miller who lived here until his death in 1914. The home later passed to the Gordon family, who occupied it into the 1970s.
Why it matters
The house preserves the everyday world of the skilled tradesmen and their families who formed the backbone of a growing 19th-century Texas capital.
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Related people
- · John R. Brizendine
Themes & tags
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