Austin360 blogs > Out & About > Archives > 2009 > November > 19 > Entry
The Manor Reborn: Restoring the Byrne-Reed House, Part 2
For Part 1, scroll down to previous post, or go here.
The Reeds remodeled the house, adding, for instance, ornate gold ornamentation to what is now the “dining room.” This clashes somewhat with the original dark stained wood, simple clean lines and squared details, as shown in historical photographs of the living room, says respected architect Emily Little of ClaytonLevyLittle.
Page built other Austin homes, including the Gilfillan House at 603 W. Eighth St., which Little and her team studied to learn more about the architect’s thoughts.
Virtually no one remembers how the Byrne-Reed House actually looked when the Reed children grew up there because ownership changed hands and the neighborhood’s character changed.
After World War II, 15th Street was widened and eventually bridged Lamar Boulevard and Shoal Creek, creating a commercial throughway where residences once ruled (and cutting off the neighborhood from Judge’s Hill to the north). The Byrne-Reed House was converted into offices. Then in 1970, the building’s origin as a family home was muffled under white, stucco arcades. For almost 40 years, commuters sped by on 15th Street without guessing that a historical treasure lay beneath an exterior more appropriate for an insurance office, which is what it was for a while.
“For 30-plus years, I had been averting my eyes,” Little says. “It has not been exactly a beautiful architectural feature of Austin since its 1970s remodel, although very indicative of the style of that time. Once I saw the historic photos, I began to look more closely and saw the hipped roof peeking over the east stucco façade, and hints of the ornate cornice still visible at the north entry. It is a remarkable structure in its own right. The fact that most of it still exists beneath this stucco shroud makes it even more remarkable.” In recent weeks, the stucco exterior has been shorn and more original elements have been uncovered.
“We have been fortunate to find existing elements intact of the most significant feature, particularly the plaster cornice on the exterior of the building,” Little says. “Original windows and wood screens have been found intact, but covered up. We have yet to find an original door, so we will use historical photographs of the home for reference.”
More to come …
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