Goodall Wooten House facts for kids
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Goodall Wooten House
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The Goodall Wooten House in 2007
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| Location | 1900 Rio Grande Austin, Texas, USA |
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| Built | 1898-1900 |
| Architect | Charles O`Connell |
| NRHP reference No. | 75002008 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | April 3, 1975 |
The Goodall Wooten House is a historic home in Austin, Texas, USA. It was built between 1898 and 1900. Dr. Goodall H. Wooten and his wife Ella built this beautiful house. It is famous for its Classical Revival style. This means it looks like ancient Greek or Roman buildings. The house also had lovely, green gardens.
Over the years, the building has been used for many things. After the Wooten family sold it in 1944, it became a student residence. Later, it was a fancy hotel called "The Mansion at Judges' Hill." Today, it is a special "boutique hotel" known as "Hotel Ella." This important building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 3, 1975.
Contents
Building a Dream Home
Dr. Goodall H. Wooten and Ella began planning their house in 1897. They had just gotten married. On July 20, 1898, they bought the land for their home. They bought it from Dr. Wooten's father, Dr. Thomas D. Wooten.
While their new house was being built, they lived with Dr. Wooten's father. Their daughter, Lucie, was born in her grandfather's home. The construction of their dream house finished on January 20, 1900. Soon after, the family moved into their new home.
Inside the Wooten House
The Goodall Wooten House has three floors and a basement. The basement was a busy place. It had rooms for servants to sleep. There was also a game room and space for storage.
The first floor was very grand. It had a large entry area. There was a sitting room, a music room, and a dining room. A kitchen was also on this floor. The second floor had four bedrooms. It also had another sitting room. There was a bathroom and a room for Dr. Wooten's large gun collection. The attic provided even more storage space.
A Big Renovation
In 1910, the house got a major makeover. It went from a large house to a true mansion. The west side of the house was made bigger. The sitting room on the lower floor became a new library. An extra bedroom was also added.
The old, plain hip roof was replaced. It received new dormers, which are windows that stick out from the roof. Ella Wooten hired Neiman-Marcus to redecorate the inside. This was the first time the Dallas-based company worked on a house in Austin.
Changes Over the Years
Goodall Wooten passed away on January 30, 1942. Ella became the only owner of the house. She sold the house on June 24, 1944.
On October 20, 1953, the Christian Faith and Life Community bought the property. They used the house as a student residence hall until 1972. It was known by several names, like Lads House and Wooten Dormitory. The building continued to be a student residence until 1979.
New Purposes for the Mansion
The mansion changed its purpose on November 15, 1979. James and Delois Coker bought it. They opened a wellness center there. For twenty years, it helped people. The center's name changed a few times. It was called Faulkner Parkside Lodge of Austin and then the Austin Recovery Center.
Since 2003, the house has been known as "The Mansion at Judges' Hill." Even though it's called that, it's not actually in the old Judge's Hill neighborhood. In September 2013, it reopened as "Hotel Ella."
The House's Address
The original address of the house was 700 Magnolia Street. Over time, Magnolia Street was renamed 19th Street. Then it became Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The house's address was later changed to a cross street, Rio Grande. This street was first called San Bernard. The current address for the Goodall Wooten House is 1900 Rio Grande.
