The Keith House - Heritage Homes Tour - Personal Memories
Mopac Then and Now - Pemberton Castle - The Catterall Mills House

Pemberton Heights Treasures from 11th Annual Heritage Homes Tour
(Note: this excerpt from the Summer 2003 Pemberton Journal contains some great short introductions to some of the beautiful historic homes in Pemberton Heights.)

1415 Wooldridge Drive: The Fisher-Gideon House (aka,The Castle)

Built in the 1890s as a water tower and used as the original Pemberton Heights Realty Office, this historic landmark is an example of diminutive Gothic architecture. It is currently owned by Dr. Ron and Linda Barnett and has been occupied over the years by a succession of colorful and interesting owners, including U.T. Architectural Design and History Professor Samuel Gideon (1875-1945), actress Libby Winters Bunch, State Supreme Court Justice William Kilgarlin, and Dell executive and philanthropist Mort Topfer and his wife Angela zone.

1505 Wooldridge Drive: The Josephine-Fisher House

Just west of the Castle is a splendid example of the Spanish Colonial Revival style, built in 1928 by Pemberton Heights developer Samuel (Budley) Fisher and his wife, Josephine Lucille Mathen Fisher, who lived in the house with her sons from 1929 to 1942. It is currently owned by Dr. O.B. Jackson. Its cantilevered balcony, picturesque stuccoed facade, and ornamental grillwork give it a distinctive Monterey style.

2418 Harris Boulevard:
The Goodfriend House

Featuring a Mediterranean Revival style, and currently owned by Mary and Bob Cocke, this home was built in 1933 by the Page Brothers, the same Austin architectural firm that built the Travis County Courthouse. The residence was originally designed for Benjamin and Augusta Goodfriend, who owned and operated Goodfriend’s Specialty Shop, a women’s clothing store on Congress Avenue. Its two-story limestone veneer structure includes features of several Mediterranean styles, notably Italian Renaissance and Spanish Eclectic. More of the Spanish style is evident in the upstairs family room, or sala, which features original beams, fireplace, windows and floor. The highlight of the entry hall is the custom-made ornate iron stair railing with its verdigris finish.

1406 Hardouin Avenue: The Spires House

Built in 1939, the curved corner by the front door, horizontal bands around the house, brick panels above the front door, and the flat roof all suggest Art Moderne. The present owners Pamela and Hunter Barrier worked with Kevin Alter of the U.T. School of Architecture to renovate and expand the house with considerate and award-winning additions, and the residence was featured on the 2002 AIA Homes Tour.

 

1402 Hardouin Avenue: The Sauer House

This hybrid from 1937 mixes both Prairie style and Colonial Revival, and is now owned by architect and former U.T. Dean of Architecture Larry Speck and Mandy
Dealey. While the low pitch of the tile roof and the large, overhanging eaves evoke the horizontal lines of the Prairie style, the clear characteristics of the Colonial Revival style may also be seen in the symmetrical facade, paired first floor windows and paneled front door with sidelights.

Architect Sinclair Black renovated and updated the house in the 1980s. Many of the built-in bookcases are original, as is the fireplace.

 

2500 Wooldridge Drive: The Cole-Greenhill House

Sited prominently on a corner lot, this Tudor cottage was built in 1936 for Maurice and Virginia Cole. A more sophisticated example of the Tudor style than most, with its curved front gable (notice the wavy shingles at the top of the gable) and irregular massing, its architectural inspiration is drawn from the vernacular cottages of the Tudor and Stewart reigns. This home is currently owned by Nick and Kelly Von Kreisler.

 

2505 Wooldridge Drive:The Allen House

Built in 1940, the Colonial Revival style of this residence is evident from the symmetrically balanced facade with center door, front door embellished with sidelights, fanlights and balcony supported by columns, double-hung windows with multi-pane glazing, side-gabled roof with exceptional dormer windows, and masonry veneer. Owners David and Janice Abrams added the wing in the back of the house on the south side, as well as the landscaping.

Many thanks to the Heritage Society 2003 Homes Tour Chair (and Pemberton resident) Michael McCullar, the Heritage Society members and staff, volunteers, and especially the homeowners for all of their hard work in presenting this wonderful tour showcasing our beloved neighborhood.