Wahrenberger House facts for kids
|
Wahrenberger House
|
|
 |
|
 Wahrenberger House
Location in Texas
Wahrenberger House
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 208 W. 14th Street Austin, Texas |
|---|---|
| Built | 1867–1868 |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 78002995 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
|
| Added to NRHP | February 23, 1978 |
The Wahrenberger House is a historic building in Austin, Texas. It is located very close to the Texas State Capitol. This house was built between 1867 and 1868. Friedrich Huster built it, and then it was sold to Charles Klein.
The house is named after Charles Klein's daughter, Caroline Wahrenberger. She received the house in 1882. For many years, the Klein–Wahrenberger family lived here. It was also home to two German–American schools. Famous people like Pat Morris Neff and Sam Rayburn even lived there. They stayed when Mrs. Wahrenberger ran the house as a boarding house. The Wahrenberger House became a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1972. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places listings in Travis County, Texas in 1978.
House Design and Changes
The Wahrenberger House was first built in 1867–1868. It was a two-story home made of limestone. It also had a separate one-story kitchen building. Both parts had a pointed roof called a gabled roof.
When Charles Klein bought the house, he made some changes. He added a second story and a front porch. In 1916, a two-story porch that had been added earlier was removed. A new two-story entrance with columns was put in its place. Later, most of the limestone walls were covered with stucco. The house stopped being a private home in 1946.
A Home for Learning
Charles Klein and his daughter Caroline often rented out the house. From 1874 to 1879, the German–American Ladies College was located there. Natalie von Schenck and Alice Nohl managed this school.
In 1880, Klein rented the house to Jacob Bickler. Jacob Bickler started the Texas German and English Academy. He began his academy in 1876. In 1880, he moved the school into the Wahrenberger House. Later, he moved the academy to a bigger building. However, Bickler continued to rent the Wahrenberger House until 1886.
On November 9, 1881, the old Texas State Capitol building caught fire. The Wahrenberger House was very close to the Capitol. Jacob Bickler and his students helped save many important historical records from the fire.
Boarding House and Family History
In 1882, Charles Klein gave the house to his daughter, Caroline Wahrenberger. Her husband, John Wahrenberger, had passed away in 1864. This left Caroline to care for their four children.
After Jacob Bickler's rental ended, Caroline Wahrenberger lived in the house. She turned it into a boarding house. Many people rented rooms there. Two very important future leaders stayed at the house. One was Pat Morris Neff, who later became the governor of Texas. The other was Sam Rayburn, who became the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. At that time, Sam Rayburn was a student at the University of Texas Law School.
Caroline Wahrenberger passed away in 1916. Her daughters, Mary and Josephine, inherited the house. They later passed it down to their own families. In 1946, the Wahrenberger House became a business property.
