J. Frank Dobie House
Austin, Travis County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Built in 1925, this house was occupied by eminent Texas author, educator, and folklorist J. Frank Dobie (1868-1964) and his wife Bertha from 1926 until their deaths. Dobie, who taught a popular course at the University of Texas on the life and literature of the Southwest, wrote many of his books here, and often mentioned his home “on Waller Creek” in the books’ prefaces. Among the friends who visited here were Carl Sandberg, Walter P. Webb, and Roy Bedichek. Exhibiting elements of the Colonial Revival style, the house includes a distinctive chimney on the front façade. Recorded Texas Historical Landmark -- 1991
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Built in 1925, this Colonial Revival house on Waller Creek was home from 1926 to author, educator, and folklorist J. Frank Dobie and his wife Bertha until their deaths. Dobie taught a beloved University of Texas course on the life and literature of the Southwest and wrote many of his books here, often naming the house in their prefaces. Friends such as Carl Sandburg, Walter P. Webb, and Roy Bedichek gathered under its roof.
Why it matters
Dobie did more than anyone to give Texas a literary voice of its own, and the house where he wrote is a touchstone of the state's cultural self-understanding.
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Related people
- · J. Frank Dobie
- · Bertha Dobie
- · Carl Sandburg
- · Walter P. Webb
- · Roy Bedichek
Themes & tags
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