A history of Pemberton Heights and some of its historic houses Pemberton Heights is the name of a historic neighborhood of Old West Austin. Gateway to Pemberton Heights is considered Keith House, at 2400 Harris, and this historic house was built in 1933 and has a breathtaking view of the Texas Capitol building from the front balcony, since it is located in the northern Austin area view state Capitol.
The House features exhibits Keith Monterey Revival style as well as the Colonial Revival style, with wooden balconies and low-sloped roof, and many exterior wall materials. This house is considered the first example of the Monterey Revival style in the Austin area, and has chimneys at gable ends, a central hallway, and shutters throughout, illustrating the neo-colonial. Two other historic and majestic homes in the neighborhood are Pemberton Castle, also known as the Fisher-Gideon home, at 1415 Wooldridge Drive, and the Catterall Mills House, 2524 Harris, very near the Keith House.
Pemberton Chacteau is a limestone structure with walls covered with ivy, which was built in 1926 remains of an old cistern that was built on site in the late 1800s and was originally used to help Austin water first firefighter access in the region. The house was originally owned by Judge John Harris, of Galveston, which was one of the first settlers in the region, and for whom Harris Boulevard is named. Harris was the Attorney General of Texas in the 1940s under Governor Elisha Pease and for whom Pease Park is named, and Pease and Harris were partners in real time. In 1925, the tower of the house has been transformed into a gothic structure by Samuel Fisher and his wife, Lucille.
The neighborhood was named Pemberton Heights about the same time in 1927 when the developers filed a platform with the clerk of Travis County for the first house in the new subdivision to be called Pemberton Heights. Shortly thereafter, the Castle became the sales office for new development.
The Catterall Mills House was built in 1937 in the style of Early American Georgian Revival, and it is a plain, symmetrical, wooden structure covered with red wood siding. The house was purchased by the family of Chester in 1999, and has some very unusual architectural amenities, including a shelter built in the yard during the Cold War. There is also an Italian marble fireplace and many windows throughout the house.
Pemberton Heights roughly encompasses the area of the intersection of MoPac and Windsor, south along Windsor Road., And north along Shoal Creek to 29th Street. The street which encompasses the eastern edge is Harris Boulevard, which eventually intersects with Northwood and Jefferson. Westover Road is considered the last bordering street of the neighborhood, and the land contained within these limits is generally considered to be Pemberton Heights.
Today, there is a very active neighborhood association in the subdivision, open to all residents, and some of the issues that they are involved include the preservation of trees and other foliage, less expansion MoPac in the neighborhood, and retaining the historic character, and creating and maintaining a welcoming environment for pedestrians in Pemberton Heights.
Today, residents and visitors can learn about the issues by reading the Pemberton Journal, which is published by the neighborhood association, and the subdivision has numerous single-family houses for sale and rent as well as condominiums and apartments rent.
Posted on January 8, 2010.
