THE LITTLEFIELD HOUSE

About the house

The Littlefield House was built in 1893 for Major George Washington Littlefield. Designed by James Wahrenberger in the Second Empire architectural style, the house combines deep, rich hues and heavy textures both inside and out.

The home sits on what is now the edge of the campus of the University of Texas at Austin, on the corner of Whitis Avenue and West 24th Street.

While originally build to be the single family home for the civil war veteran and his wife, Alice, the building has been repurposed into an event space on the ground floor and an office building for the Office of University Events. The building has had both the interior and exterior refurbished in order to restore the gorgeous mansion to its full potential. The building was restored in 1965 by architecture professor at the University, Wayne Bell.

About

Portfolio

The front door combines the elegance of the carved woods and the motif of swirled wrought iron that decorated the front of the house.	This vintage illustration shows the Littlefield House as it looked without most of the development that surrounds it today.	I drew what I believed was the most important part of the home, the larger tower. It dominates the eye when looking at the house, and the textures, rhythm and balance of the tower make it feel grand and imposing.
Alternating shingle colors add to a sort of "gingerbread house" look.	Red sandstone trim accents the brick and iron along the edges of the house.	Major Littlefield's study is dark in comparison to the light colored parlor.
The rich textiles and intricate lighting fixtures elevate the sense of wealth in the house.	The rooms have a sort of cavernous feel due to the 14 foot ceilings.	Much of the hardwoods are exotic and intricately carved.
Each room is decorated cohesively by the Marshall Field & Co. of Chicago.	Intricate details such as ceiling paintings are a perfect example of the then $50,000 price point of the house, now approximately $1,365,287.	The drawing room features gilded molding and a large mirror to make the room seem larger.
The sitting room was redecorated along with the renovation of the home, and is no longer in the original style.	The marble fireplace is one of the many elaborate pieces in the house.	The exotic hardwoods include bird's-eye maple, curly walnut, vertical pine, curly pine, vertical oak, and curly oak.
The sage green walls mirror the greens found in the porcelain tiles on the patio.	This fireplace sits adjacent to the main staircase and combines marble and hardwood.	Mrs. Littlefield's piano sits next to the stairs, which feature hand carved details and Major Littlefield's monogram.
The door frames are beautiful and grand, beckoning you to continue walking through the several rooms of the ground floor.	Recently restored, this window area resembles the original gold and white parlor. This room would have been light and delicate, a stark contrast to Mr. Littlefield's stately study.	The alternating shingle pattern compliments the St. Louis brick and porcelain tile porch on the exterior of the home.
A further back shot of the house also shows the clean landscaping of the property.	The two towers seem imposing yet regal.	A drawing from the architectural firm that handled the restoration of the Littlefield House
The inside of the spire, though not visible, also has rhythm in the structure.	Decorative porcelain tiles cover the floor of the veranda.	The iron work was done by a local craftsman for the house and several others that used to stand nearby.
The iron gates stand with walls finished in red sandstone, continuing the regal warm color pallet of the home.	Small sandstone details add the the intricacy of the large house, maintaining proportions on the small scale as well as the large scale of the house as a hole.	This historic photograph shows the house before the Himalayan cedar was planted in the front yard. It shows the now hidden circular windows that balance out the circular tower on the other side of the home.
The Littlefield House has a nicely kept lawn and several trees. It once was on a street of other houses, but now it is on the UT Austin campus near the Honors Quad and the Union.	The iron work on the exterior of the building is beautifully intricate. The swirls remind me somewhat of New Orleans style banisters.	The rich texture of the brick adds to the warm, heavy feeling of the house.
The attention to detail is a key feature of the house's exterior. One can see painted designs on the underside of the overhang and the eye flows smoothly when looking because of the rhythm of the supporting columns and beams.

Interior Spotlight:

The Drawing Room

The interior design was maintained to be what would have been fashionable while George and Alice Littlefield would have been living in the mansion. The tall cielings and large mirrors make the modestly sized rooms feel grand while the moulding adds elegance and detail.

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THE LITTLEFIELD HOUSE

About the house

The front door combines the elegance of the carved woods and the motif of swirled wrought iron that decorated the front of the house.

This vintage illustration shows the Littlefield House as it looked without most of the development that surrounds it today.

I drew what I believed was the most important part of the home, the larger tower. It dominates the eye when looking at the house, and the textures, rhythm and balance of the tower make it feel grand and imposing.

Alternating shingle colors add to a sort of "gingerbread house" look.

Red sandstone trim accents the brick and iron along the edges of the house.

Major Littlefield's study is dark in comparison to the light colored parlor.

The rich textiles and intricate lighting fixtures elevate the sense of wealth in the house.

The rooms have a sort of cavernous feel due to the 14 foot ceilings.

Much of the hardwoods are exotic and intricately carved.

Each room is decorated cohesively by the Marshall Field & Co. of Chicago.

Intricate details such as ceiling paintings are a perfect example of the then $50,000 price point of the house, now approximately $1,365,287.

The drawing room features gilded molding and a large mirror to make the room seem larger.

The sitting room was redecorated along with the renovation of the home, and is no longer in the original style.

The marble fireplace is one of the many elaborate pieces in the house.

The exotic hardwoods include bird's-eye maple, curly walnut, vertical pine, curly pine, vertical oak, and curly oak.

The sage green walls mirror the greens found in the porcelain tiles on the patio.

This fireplace sits adjacent to the main staircase and combines marble and hardwood.

Mrs. Littlefield's piano sits next to the stairs, which feature hand carved details and Major Littlefield's monogram.

The door frames are beautiful and grand, beckoning you to continue walking through the several rooms of the ground floor.

Recently restored, this window area resembles the original gold and white parlor. This room would have been light and delicate, a stark contrast to Mr. Littlefield's stately study.

The alternating shingle pattern compliments the St. Louis brick and porcelain tile porch on the exterior of the home.

A further back shot of the house also shows the clean landscaping of the property.

The two towers seem imposing yet regal.

A drawing from the architectural firm that handled the restoration of the Littlefield House

The inside of the spire, though not visible, also has rhythm in the structure.

Decorative porcelain tiles cover the floor of the veranda.

The iron work was done by a local craftsman for the house and several others that used to stand nearby.

The iron gates stand with walls finished in red sandstone, continuing the regal warm color pallet of the home.

Small sandstone details add the the intricacy of the large house, maintaining proportions on the small scale as well as the large scale of the house as a hole.

This historic photograph shows the house before the Himalayan cedar was planted in the front yard. It shows the now hidden circular windows that balance out the circular tower on the other side of the home.