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The Keith House -
Gateway to Pemberton
The Keith House (1933) is a two-story, single-family residence located at 2400 Harris Boulevard. The house enjoys an unobstructed view of the Texas State Capitol from its front balcony. This view is part of the northern boundary of Austin’s protected State Capitol view zone.

The Keith House exemplifies characteristics of the Monterey Revival and the Colonial Revival styles popular in the United States during the 1920s through the 1940s. The Colonial Revival influence is evident through the use of brick, placement of chimneys at the gable ends, 1/1 double-hung windows paired with shutters, and a central hallway. The Monterey Revival influences include a cantilevered wooden balcony, wooden balustrade, low-pitched roof, and varied exterior wall materials. It is the earliest known Austin house displaying elements of the Monterey Revival style.

The early 20th century in the United States was characterized by the revivals
of Colonial and Classical architectural styles, in tandem with the development
of Craftsman and Prairie styles. Traditional Colonial and Classical elements frequently were combined in imaginative ways to produce unique and distinctly American interpretations of traditional designs. The Spanish Monterey architectural style developed in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico from the 1700s to the mid-1800s. With the influx of English settlers in the west, the Spanish Monterey style began to exhibit English Colonial as well as Spanish features, and the Monterey Revival style, first built in the mid-1920s in California, incorporated elements of both the Spanish Eclectic and English Colonial styles.

Both the exterior and interior of the Keith House retains a high degree of architectural integrity, appearing much as it would have in the 1930s. The primary entrance leads to a small foyer dominated by an elegant 180-degree spiral staircase, constructed entirely of wood with a curved mahogany railing.  The front room features a Federal-style carved mantelpiece. All woodwork and doors are original, including the hardware. The floors throughout the house are oak, except in the kitchen, which is pine. In a recent kitchen renovation, the current owners removed linoleum and refinished the pine floor. The original kitchen wallpapers were found intact under two layers of wallpaper. Both bathrooms retain original fixtures, hardware, and tiles.

The Keith House was designed by William Dixon Anderson, a noted Austin builder employed by the Calcasieu Lumber Company, for his sister, Maggie Mae Keith, and her husband Jacque Nicholas Keith. Anderson (1888-1972) was born in Austin, Texas to Ed and Mary Anderson. Ed was a Travis County sheriff, in addition to being County Treasurer for fifteen years. Ed was the grandson of Thomas Anderson, builder of Anderson Mill on the Colorado River in the Hill Country west of Austin.

William Anderson studied architecture (though he never became a licensed architect) under Samuel Gideon at the University of Texas and joined Calcasieu Lumber Company in 1915. He married Gertrude Richter in May 1915 and continued his career at Calcasieu Lumber Company for 46 years, ultimately becoming its chief builder. It is unknown how many houses he built in the area. Anderson, known locally as “the man in the derby hat,” for his choice of headgear, was also a noted local historian, best remembered for his stories of life in Austin in the 19th and early 20th centuries. His most famous work, “Kingdom in the Hills” documented life at Anderson Mill. The Austin History Center maintains a collection of Anderson’s writings.

Anderson purchased the Keith House lot in 1927, and sold it to his sister Maggie Mae (Anderson) Keith, and her husband, Jacque Nicholas Keith, in 1932. Calcasieu Lumber Co. built the house, as designed by Anderson.

Jacque Nicholas Keith (1886-1958) graduated from the University of Texas School of Law in 1909. He worked at the Austin Realty Company and then at his own law practice until 1918. He married Maggie Mae Anderson in 1915.  Maggie Mae lived in the Keith House until 1962.

The Austin Development Company, which developed Pemberton Heights in the late 20’s, advertised Pemberton Heights as a ‘well balanced’ community with some streets planned for “fancy $3500-$4000 cottages” and adjacent streets reserved for “$150,000 mansions.” They highlighted the neighborhood’s amenities in a brochure, “...with over five miles of paved and shaded streets and sidewalks, and over seven acres of private park adjoining and adjacent to Pease and Enfield Parks on the north…”

Harris Boulevard was among the first streets laid out and developed in Pemberton Heights. It is possible to see the influence the Keith House had on other houses built after its completion.

(The information for this article was gathered from the THC website.)