Austin, TX

The Neill-Cochran House in Austin

Address: 2310 San Gabriel St., Austin, TX 78705 - MAP
Phone: (512) 478-2335
Web: www.nchmuseum.org

The Neill-Cochran House is a historic home in Austin that was built in 1855 and is now restored to its original splendor. The home is open for daily tours and is a living history lesson on how Austin went from a sleepy outpost, to the state capital, to home to one of the largest universities in the country.

Originally the home was meant to be occupied by an early developer of Austin who enlisted master builder Abner Cook. Cook was a well-known builder of his time and is considered to have his signature craftsmanship on nearly every city block of historical downtown Austin. He built commercial and government buildings, as well as projects for wealthy families in the mid-1800s.

However, the original homeowners never occupied the house. Eventually it became a temporary site for the Texas Asylum for the Blind, and then leased to the Lieutenant Governor after that.

The home was eventually purchased by the Cochrans. The family owned the home until 1958, when it was bought by the National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in The State of Texas.

The home is now completely restored and decorated with furnishings from 1780 to 1925. A historic tour includes stories about the many occupants of the house over the years, including the Texas School for the Blind and its occupation by federal troops during Reconstruction.