404 W. 7th St., Austin, TX 78701
This Italianate house was built in 1873. In 1874, Eugene Bremond paid $15,000 for both the house and the empty lot next door to the east.
In 1872, Eugene Bremond was a widower with four young children to care for. He married again in 1874, this time to Augusta Palm. He moved his children and new bride to this house on the southwest corner of the block. Eugene and August had two more children, so all together the Eugene Bremond family had six children.
It was said that the alley behind the house was often closed off at either end so that the children and their cousins could play there. A traveling vegetable cart made daily stops there at the alley, and Eugene made those purchases for his mother and wife.
(2) Pauline Bremond Robinson and Catherine Robinson House (1891)
705 San Antonio St., Austin, TX 78701
Across the alley, just to the north of Eugene's house, later lived Eugene's sister Pauline. She had six children and a seventh on the way when her husband, Alfred Robinson, died in 1885. Eugene had this house built for her in 1891.
It was updated in 1905 with columns and a second floor gallery in the Colonial Revival style. Later, Pauline bequeathed the home to her maiden daughter Catherine who continued to live there until 1961.
(3) Walter Bremond House (1887-1888)
711 San Antonio, Austin,TX 78701
At first this was the home of a sister of Eugene Bremond, Josephine Bremond Crosby, who lived there briefly with her husband Josiah. In 1887, Eugene decided to remodel it. Local master builder George Fiegel was hired to add one and a half stories to the stone house, transforming it into a fashionable Second Empire home.
It was a wedding gift from Eugene to his son, Walter, and his bride Mary Anderson.
(4) Pierre Bremond Home (1898)
402 W. 7th St., Austin, TX 78701
One of the youngest of Eugene's children, Pierre married a socialite from St. Louis, Nina Abadie, and this lovely house was built on the empty lot that Eugene had purchased back in 1874.
By this time, master builder George Fiegel had been engaged to build numerous homes for the Bremonds. The Pierre Bremond Home is a subdued Queen Anne style. It was the last home to be built on the block.
The couple had no children, but were known to be fun-loving with a special affection for dogs and sylish new cars. Once again the alley was useful, now for a parking place for Pierre's automobiles.
