|
|
| Historic
Name: |
John
& Ruth Pope |
|
Architect | Builder: |
A.
O. Watson |
| Year: |
1911-12 |
| Style: |
Neoclassical |
| Areas
of Significance: |
Art,
Architecture |
City: |
Austin |
The John B. and Ruth Pope House, also known as the Rio Grande House
is now owned by T3, (The Think Tank) an advertising agency in Austin.
It was designed and built as a residence by A.O. Watson for his
brother-in-law John Burwell Pope and his wife Ruth. In 1922 extensive
remodeling was done and Mansbendel was then commissioned to carve
mantel pieces, decorative moldings and stair rail, and to design
a wrought iron fan light over the entrance door and light fixtures
throughout the house.
The Adam-style living room and George III dining room contain a
rich variety of Mansbendel's artistry.The home's Giant Order portico
with veranda below is derived from the Connecticut Pavilion at the
World's Colombian Exposition of 1893. The rich interiors with fine
Peter Mansbendel woodcarving and ornamental plasterwork are among
the finest of the early 20th century in Austin.
"Many properties in certain Austin neighborhoods were razed
in the 1950s and 60s when they were unappreciated, but the Pope
House and adjacent properties have remained anchors of the Judges
Hill Neighborhood," says Peter Flagg Maxson, Heritage Society
Awards Committee member and architectural historian.
"In a city of constant change, the John and Ruth Pope House
is a property with true architectural and historical significance
and retains its overall integrity to an unusual degree," notes
Maxson.
T3, (The Think Tank)-copyright 2005-photographs posted with permission.
|
