The Shipe House
Austin, Travis County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Monroe Martin Shipe (b. 1847) had this residence built in 1892 in Austin's Hyde Park, a suburb which he developed on the site of the old state fairgrounds. A man of broad vision, Shipe brought innovative changes to the city's form of government, its public transportation system and other matters of civic concern. His home, partially constructed of wood from the fair grandstand, stands as a monument to his achievements. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1982
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Developer Monroe Martin Shipe built this 1892 residence in Austin's Hyde Park, the suburb he laid out on the old state fairgrounds — using wood salvaged from the fair's grandstand in his own home. Shipe was a civic innovator who pushed changes to the city's government and its public transportation, tying his new streetcar suburb into the growing city.
Why it matters
It stands as a monument to the streetcar-suburb era, when private developers reshaped American cities by marrying real estate to public transit.
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Related people
- · Monroe Martin Shipe
Themes & tags
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