Driskill Hotel
Why it's listed
Designed in 1885 by Joseph N. Preston and Son of Austin, the Driskill Hotel is a four-story Romanesque Revival building of pressed brick trimmed with white limestone, located at 117 East 7th Street. Limestone busts of cattleman Jesse Lincoln Driskill and his two sons crown its street facades, alongside gargoyles. Driskill spent about $400,000 on the hotel, which opened five days before Christmas in 1886. It quickly became a center of Texas public life, hosting Governor Sul Ross's inaugural ball in 1887, University of Texas homecoming balls for over thirty years, and lodging for legislators. President and Mrs. Johnson used it as their election night headquarters in 1964. A twelve-story annex was added in 1930, and renovations in 1947 and 1952 changed much of the interior. In 1966 local and state groups recognized it as a landmark. It was nominated in 1969 while facing possible demolition.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the Driskill as an Austin and Texas institution that opened in 1886 as a luxury hotel. It hosted gubernatorial inaugural balls, University of Texas homecoming balls and legislators' headquarters, and it was used by President and Mrs. Johnson. It was named a significant Austin landmark in 1966 and a Texas historic landmark the same year. It is also noted for its architecture.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 69000212, listed November 25, 1969. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 117 E. 7th St., Austin |
|---|---|
| County | Travis County |
| Listed | November 25, 1969 |
| Reference number | 69000212 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (specific date 1886) |
| Architect / builder | Joseph N. Preston and Son of Austin |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival (later described as Richardsonian Romanesque) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | At the time of the 1969 nomination the hotel was closed (September 1969) and threatened with demolition by its owners. A 1974 letter says it was later bought by the Driskill Hotel Corporation, renovated and managed by Braniff International, with shops, restaurants and offices on the lower floors and hotel rooms above. |
| Acreage | 0.8 |
| Within district | Sixth Street Historic District |
| Coordinates | 30.26792, -97.74157 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 69000212.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5307819
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.