George A. Peterson House

Duane's take

This one comes straight from the official marker, and here's how I tell it. Now, East Austin has seen its share of stories, and every now and then a house stands up and says, pay attention to me. The George A.

Peterson House is one of those houses. Built around 1904, this late Victorian, t-plan home went up for a man named George A. Peterson, who was making his living as a partner with a fellow by the name of C.O.

Lindahl. The two of them ran a grocery and feed business over on East 6th Street. Practical work, honest work.

But when it came time to build a home, George Peterson apparently decided practical wasn't quite enough. He wanted something worth looking at. And he got it.

The house follows what's called a t-plan, which was a common enough form in its day, but Peterson's version comes with a twist. The front bay has clipped corners and an elaborate design that makes it a noteworthy variation, and here's the thing, that kind of variation was unusual for East Austin. So right there on that street, this house was already doing something a little different from its neighbors.

Step up to the front porch and the craftsmanship keeps coming at you. Spindled balusters, elaborate brackets, and a spindled canopy overhead. Every window is one-over-one, double-hung sash, consistent and careful all the way around.

The marker calls it a fine example of a once-prolific architectural style in East Austin, one that displays craftsmanship with distinctive details. Once-prolific. That phrase is doing some quiet work, isn't it.

It tells you that homes like this used to be everywhere around here, and most of them are gone. George Peterson's house is still standing, still showing off that clip-cornered bay, still reminding anyone who looks closely what East Austin used to build when it built with care.

What the marker says

This late Victorian, t-plan home was constructed around 1904 for George A. Peterson, a partner with C.O. Lindahl in a grocery and feed business on East 6th Street. The clip-cornered, elaborate front bay is a noteworthy variation of the t-plan which is unusual for East Austin. All windows are one-over-one, double-hung sash and the front porch features spindled balusters, elaborate brackets and a spindled canopy. The Peterson home is a fine example of a once-prolific architectural style in East Austin that displays craftsmanship with distinctive details.