{"nrhp_refnum":"00000696","name":"Schemedes, Kurt and Meta, House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"804 Baylor St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Austin","county":"Travis County","state":"TX","lat":30.27417904400005,"lon":-97.75438181299995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2000-06-15","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A three-story buff-brick single-family house with a detached garage apartment at 804 Baylor Street in the Raymond Subdivision of Austin, Texas, begun in summer 1923 and completed in February 1924.","why_significant":"The house is argued to be significant locally under Criterion C for architecture, combining German Jugendstil, Craftsman, Prairie School, Mediterranean, and Classical elements. It is tied to the architects Giesecke and Harris, the builder Brydson Lumber Company, and Swiss-immigrant craftsmen who made its interior woodcarving and painted panels. German heritage is a central theme, since the owners, architect, and styles all have German connections.","narrative":"Set on a hill in Austin's Raymond Subdivision, this house at 804 Baylor Street was built for Kurt and Meta Schmedes between 1923 and 1924. Kurt, a German-born cotton broker, and Meta, from a locally established German family, hired the architects Giesecke and Harris. The brick-veneered house over a wood frame has limestone trim, a clipped gable red clay tile roof, balconies, roof terraces, and casement windows with geometric patterns drawn from German Jugendstil design. Craftsman, Prairie School, Mediterranean, and Classical touches add to the mix. Inside, Swiss immigrant Peter Mansbendel carved the living room mantel and Peter Alladi painted inlaid wall panels. A matching garage with an upstairs apartment was built at the same time. The house has had only three families, and nearly all original lighting, doors, windows, and floors survive. It was recognized for its architecture and its link to Austin's German community. The Schmedes were also known for supporting the Austin Symphony Orchestra.","period_of_significance":"1924","architect_builder":"Giesecke and Harris, Architects; Brydson Lumber Company, Builder","architectural_style":"Mixed (German Jugendstil with Craftsman, Prairie School, Mediterranean, and Classical elements)","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Described as in excellent condition with high integrity; still used as a single dwelling with a secondary structure (garage with apartment).","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:23.157168-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/56/9736/40973656/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/00000696.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/00000696/21a06a4a37-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/00000696/21a06a4a37-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Mwhitman6","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kurt_and_Meta_Schemedes_House_on_a_steep_hill.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Mwhitman6</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kurt_and_Meta_Schemedes_House_on_a_steep_hill.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40973656","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110000947"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/travis-county/schemedes-kurt-and-meta-house-00000696/"}