Victorian Mansion
A distinctive historic residence with Victorian and Eastlake architectural features.
Texas Historic Homes / Historic Austin
Hirshfeld
House
A remarkable Victorian mansion and historic cottage in the heart of Downtown Austin, once home to the Texas A&M University System's Austin offices.
Explore the History
The Hirshfeld Estate
1887
Construction year given
in Betty's original article
Historic Austin Victorian Home
The Historic Hirshfeld House
Sometimes called the "Aggie Embassy", the Hirshfeld House most recently housed the Austin offices of the Texas A&M University System from 1987 to 2016. It was built in 1887 for the banker and merchant Henry Hirshfeld and his family. The complex sits on a half city block on West Ninth Street between Lavaca and Guadalupe streets. It includes the Victorian mansion filled with beautiful antiques, an older honeymoon cottage, and a traditional two-story carriage house in the back.
Historic Austin Heritage
An Important Piece of Austin's Architectural History
House & Cottage
The half-block property also includes the older Hirshfeld cottage and a traditional carriage house.
Landmark Status
Recognized for its architectural significance and protected through multiple historic designations.
Historic Austin / The Aggie Embassy
A Victorian Landmark with a Distinctive Past
The Hirshfeld House served the Austin offices of the Texas A&M University System from 1987 to 2016.
Originally a family residence, the property later became part of Austin's institutional and preservation history.
Historic Architectural Complex
Three Distinct Parts of the Hirshfeld Property
The Victorian Mansion
The main historic residence is known for its decorative architectural details and prominent West Ninth Street setting.
The Honeymoon Cottage
An older cottage stands beside the mansion and forms an important part of the historic property.
The Carriage House
A traditional two-story carriage house stands toward the rear of the historic complex.
Hirshfeld Historic Complex
The Historic Hirshfeld Cottage
Before the larger Victorian mansion, the Hirshfeld family occupied the adjacent limestone cottage.
The cottage dates to 1873 and remains an important part of the historic house-and-cottage complex.
Architecture & Preservation
Protected for Future Generations
Betty's original article identifies several historic designations and preservation protections associated with the property.
01
National Register of Historic Places
02
Texas Historic Landmark
03
State Antiquities Landmark
04
City of Austin Landmark
Historic Archive
2016
Texas A&M departure
Original article published June 2017
Texas Historic Homes Archive
The Hirshfeld House's 2016 Transition
Texas A&M decided that they had outgrown the buildings in 2016, and moved to the new St. David’s Foundation building. They've decided to sell the property. The Hirshfeld is protected by a deed of covenant with a previous owner, the Heritage Society of Austin, a nonprofit group now called Preservation Austin, binding future owners from destroying the property. It’s also in the Capitol View Corridor, so no one could building anything too tall to replace it anyway. The home is also on the National Register of Historic Places, a Texas Historic Landmark, a State Antiquities Landmark, and a City of Austin Landmark.
Historic Archive — Historical Information
The text above is preserved from Betty's original 2017 article and discusses the property's circumstances in 2016. The former sale announcement is historical and does not establish that the property is currently for sale.
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Search Homes for Sale NOWPhotography: Hirshfeld House original photograph from Betty Saenz's Texas Historic Homes archive. Additional Hirshfeld House and Cottage photographs by Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0. Cottage image source. Wikimedia photographs cropped for layout.
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