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General Land Office Building (Austin, Texas)
Encyclopedia
The General Land Office
Building in Austin, Texas
is the oldest surviving state government office building in the city, and the first building designed by a university-trained architect (German architect Christoph Conrad Stremme). The building features a dramatic medieval
castle
style known as Rundbogenstil
, or "rounded arch" around the windows and doors. There is also a Norman
style influence in the castle-like parapet
s. The exterior walls are limestone
rubble smoothed over with stucco
and scored to simulate cut stone blocks.
The Land Office was completed in 1857 on the southeast corner of the Texas State Capitol
grounds. The building counted among its employees William Sidney Porter, later to become famous as short-story writer O. Henry. Porter worked in the office from 1887 to 1891 and later set several of his stories there.
The building functioned as the state's land office building until 1917 when the agency moved to a larger building across the street. From 1919 until 1989, the building housed museum
s run by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas
and United Daughters of the Confederacy
.
The building was modified during the mid-20th century but was restored between 1989 and 1992 to its original style. Today, it serves as the Capitol Visitor's Center. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places
on August 25, 1970.
Texas General Land Office
.The Texas General Land Office is a state agency of Texas. It manages state-controlled lands and mineral rights properties. The agency originally collected and kept records regarding lands controlled by the state. The agency has its headquarters in the Stephen F. Austin State Office Building in...
Building in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
is the oldest surviving state government office building in the city, and the first building designed by a university-trained architect (German architect Christoph Conrad Stremme). The building features a dramatic medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
style known as Rundbogenstil
Rundbogenstil
Rundbogenstil , one of the nineteenth-century historic revival styles of architecture, is a variety of Romanesque revival popular in the German-speaking lands and the German diaspora....
, or "rounded arch" around the windows and doors. There is also a Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
style influence in the castle-like parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
s. The exterior walls are limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
rubble smoothed over with stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
and scored to simulate cut stone blocks.
The Land Office was completed in 1857 on the southeast corner of the Texas State Capitol
Texas State Capitol
The Texas State Capitol is located in Austin, Texas, and is the fourth building to be the house of Texas government in Austin. It houses the chambers of the Texas Legislature and the office of the governor of Texas. It was designed originally during 1881 by architect Elijah E. Myers, and was...
grounds. The building counted among its employees William Sidney Porter, later to become famous as short-story writer O. Henry. Porter worked in the office from 1887 to 1891 and later set several of his stories there.
The building functioned as the state's land office building until 1917 when the agency moved to a larger building across the street. From 1919 until 1989, the building housed museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
s run by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas
Daughters of the Republic of Texas
The Daughters of the Republic of Texas is a sororal association dedicated to perpetuating the memory of Texas pioneer families and soldiers of the Republic of Texas. The Daughters of the Republic of Texas is best known for its role as caretakers of The Alamo. They also operate a museum in Austin...
and United Daughters of the Confederacy
United Daughters of the Confederacy
The United Daughters of the Confederacy is a women's heritage association dedicated to honoring the memory of those who served in the military and died in service to the Confederate States of America . UDC began as the National Association of the Daughters of the Confederacy, organized in 1894 by...
.
The building was modified during the mid-20th century but was restored between 1989 and 1992 to its original style. Today, it serves as the Capitol Visitor's Center. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on August 25, 1970.