Stephen F. Austin Hotel
Austin, Travis County, Texas
Marker Inscription
To meet the needs of the growing Austin Community, T.B. Baker, President of Baker Hotels, opened a hotel in 1924 at this site, previously occupied by the Keystona Hotel. Baker's new facility, initially to be called "The Texas," was named for Stephen F. Austin in response to local interest. Acclaimed Fort Worth firm Sanguinet, Staats and Hedrick designed the Beaux Arts hotel; local architect Roy l. Thomas represented them in its construction. In 1938, five stories were added. After a restoration in 2000, the hotel retains much of its original, classically influenced detailing on the interior and exterior. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2002
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Rising in 1924 on the site of the earlier Keystone Hotel, this Beaux Arts landmark was built by hotelier T.B. Baker to serve a growing capital city. Locals persuaded him to name it for Stephen F. Austin, the empresario known as the "Father of Texas," rather than the planned "The Texas." Designed by the noted Fort Worth firm Sanguinet, Staats and Hedrick, it gained five stories in 1938 and kept its classical detailing through a 2000 restoration.
Why it matters
It reflects the ambition of a 1920s Texas capital eager to project big-city sophistication through grand commercial architecture.
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Related people
- · T.B. Baker
Themes & tags
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