Emma West Flats
Austin, Travis County, Texas
Marker Inscription
After attorney Robert G. West (1860-1904) died, his widow Emma Grant West (1865-1952) had this structure built to provide rental income for support of their four childern. Erected by contractors Fischer & Lambie in 1905, the brick edifice had one aparment on each floor, with servants' quarters in the basement. In 1925 Mrs.West sold the rental property to Miss Katie Gannaway (1890-1967), an Austin teacher. It was restored by attorney Byron Lockhart and his wife Nina in 1973. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1976
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
After the attorney Robert G. West died in 1904, his widow Emma Grant West had this brick apartment building erected the next year to earn rental income to support their four children. Built by the contractors Fischer & Lambie, it held one apartment on each floor with servants' quarters in the basement. West later sold the property to an Austin schoolteacher, Katie Gannaway, and the building was restored by a later owner in 1973.
Why it matters
The flats reflect the resourcefulness of a widow who turned real estate into a livelihood for her family in early-twentieth-century Austin, and their later owners — a teacher and a restorer — extended that story of women's stewardship.
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Related people
- · Emma Grant West
- · Robert G. West
- · Katie Gannaway
Themes & tags
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