West Hill

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and here's how I'm gonna pass it along to you. There's a house on West Hill in Travis County, and the story attached to it goes back a good long while. Tradition says the architect Abner Cook built this place for Ruben and Mary Runner, right around 1855.

Now, Abner Cook is a name that carries some weight in these parts, so when tradition points a finger at a builder, you pay attention. The house that went up was no modest little structure, either. Originally, it faced east, and it commanded the entire 1700 block, stretching from Rio Grande all the way to West Avenue.

We're talking a full spread, with a separate kitchen, a carriage house, and other structures out on the grounds. That's not a house. That's a statement.

The years moved through, the way years do, and the house passed through several hands. F.E. Chandler and H.E.

Shelley, both lawyers, are counted among the later owners across the stretch from 1863 to 1909. Then the May Thompson family came into the picture, holding the place from 1917 all the way to 1969. But time and neglect have a way of working on even the proudest buildings.

Severe changes and decay set in, and what had once stood so boldly out there on that block began to show it. Then, in 1970, the Travis Williamson family stepped in and began the work of restoration. Somebody looked at what was left of Abner Cook's handiwork and decided it was worth saving.

That's not a small thing. That's a choice with some real weight behind it.

What the marker says

Tradition says architect Abner Cook built this house for Ruben and Mary Runner about 1855. Some later owners were F.E. Chandler and H.E. Shelley, lawyers, 1863-1909; The May Thompson family, 1917-69. Originally the house faced east, preempting the entire 1700 block, Rio Grande to West Avenue, with a separate kitchen, carriage house, other structures on the grounds. Severe changes and decay preceded the beginning of restoration by the Travis Williamson family in 1970. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1974