This is one of the homes in the Bremond Block, a family enclave created by two brothers, Eugene and John Bremond, for themselves and their extended family in the late 1800's. For more information, see the TravelGoat story: The Bremond Block Story.
Noted for its "Victorian exuberance," this Second Empire home boasts having the first indoor toilet in Austin. The mansard roof, covered in multi-toned slate shingles, has elaborate dormers; the decorative cast-iron work is intricately complex. After the State Capitol, it is the second most popular historic site in Austin. It is currently occupied by the Texas Classroom Teachers Association.
Noted master builder George Fiegel needs to be honored for the many lovely Victorian homes built both on the Bremond Block and elsewhere in Austin. He built this outstanding home in 1886-87.
John Bremond, Jr. purchased this property as an empty lot in 1864, two years before Eugene bought the adjacent property. Since his elder brother Eugene had left the family's mercantile business to start a banking business, it was John, Jr.'s responsibility to run the store. This home is proof of his success as a businessman.
A sad part of this story: John's adored wife, Hallie Robertson, died in 1887 just as the house was being completed. But a happy part of the story is that heir daughter Hallie married 'the boy next door' in 1915 and continued to live next to her father's house for another half century.
John Bremond, Jr. House
Tel: none
700 Guadalupe, Austin, TX 7870
Occupied by the Texas Classroom Teachers Association
