Hirshfeld, Henry, House and Cottage
Why it's listed
Two limestone houses on West 9th Street in Austin record the life of merchant Henry Hirschfeld, who came from Germany as a teenager and became a successful dry goods merchant and a founder of the Austin National Bank. In 1876 he built a small stone cottage for his family, later nicknamed "Honeymoon Cottage" because many young couples began housekeeping there. Ten years later he built a twelve-room, two-story mansion next door. The mansion has smooth limestone walls, incised rosettes on its lintels, a wraparound gallery with cut-out brackets, and an unusual punch-work cornice that follows none of the popular Victorian styles. Inside are a central hall, a double staircase lit by stained glass, corner fireplaces and thirteen-foot ceilings. The house remained unaltered, even to its Victorian furnishings, and four generations of the family lived in the two buildings. These qualities made the pair notable examples of late nineteenth-century building in central Texas.
Significance in brief: The mansion is argued to be an important example of late Victorian architecture in central Texas, notable for its distinctive decorative stonework and cornice, and for remaining unaltered and intact, even to its furnishings. The two houses are also significant because four generations of the Hirschfeld family occupied them, and the house is one of few Austin homes still owned by descendants of its builders.
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 73001978, listed April 13, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 303 and 305 W. 9th St., Austin |
|---|---|
| County | Travis County |
| Listed | April 13, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73001978 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (specific dates 1876, 1886) |
| Architect / builder | Henry Hirschfeld (builder for his family) |
| Architectural style | Victorian, with stylistic relationships to the Eastlake style |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition and unaltered; the house was occupied as a private residence and the cottage was used as commercial offices at the time of nomination. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 30.27147, -97.74444 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 73001978.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5723038
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.