Smith-Clark-Smith House
Austin, Travis County, Texas
Marker Inscription
When the State Capitol burned in 1881, Scottish-born James Baird Smith (1843-1907) cleared the site and erected a temporary statehouse nearby. Salvaged bricks and stone, which he used to build this rent house about 1886, probably came from the burned capitol. The first tenant was noted Banker John G. Palm (1846-927 ). Later owner (1924) and occupant (1925-43) Lucille Clark, of a prominent Austin family, sold the property in 1959 to Mr. and Mrs. Homer D. Smith, who restored it. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1975
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
After the Texas State Capitol burned in 1881, Scottish-born James Baird Smith cleared the site and built a temporary statehouse nearby, then used salvaged bricks and stone to construct this rent house around 1886. Its first tenant was banker John G. Palm, and later owner Lucille Clark, of a prominent Austin family, occupied it before it was sold and restored in 1959. It became a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1975.
Why it matters
Built quite literally from the ruins of the old capitol, the house is a tangible link to a pivotal moment in Texas government and to the immigrant builders who shaped early Austin.
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Related people
- · James Baird Smith
- · John G. Palm
- · Lucille Clark
Related events
- · 1881 Texas Capitol fire
Themes & tags
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