Henry Hirshfeld House and Cottage, Nineteenth-century house and cottage in downtown Austin, United States
The Henry Hirshfeld House is a 19th-century building complex in downtown Austin made up of two connected structures that display Victorian details such as double galleries, bay windows, stained glass, and ornate limestone trim on their outside walls. The pair was constructed over 12 years during the late 1800s and now sits as a unified landmark from that era.
The stone cottage was built in 1873, while the larger main house was completed in 1885, with both designed by architect John Andrewartha for merchant Henry Hirshfeld. Together they document the building traditions and design choices of that period.
The buildings show how successful German-Jewish merchants who arrived in Texas during the late 1800s expressed their prosperity through elaborate architectural design and fine building details.
The buildings stand at 303 and 305 West 9th Street and now serve as offices for the Texas A&M University System. Visitors can view the exteriors and architectural details from the street without entering the private office spaces inside.
The original cottage includes a roof platform called a widow's walk and features decorative jigsaw patterns along the porch. These details serve both as practical features and as signs of the owner's status and wealth during that era.
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