Historical Marker

Matsen House

In 1953, distinguished professor of chemistry and physics at the University of Texas at Austin, Frederick Albert Matsen (1913-2006), and his wife, Cecelia Christina (Kirkegaard) Matsen (1910-2006), built this home. The couple worked with Austin architects Carlton Brush and Joseph Buffler, influenced by Frank Lloyd wright, who was active in Racine, Wisconsin, native town of the Matsens. The two-story house is built of limestone walls and cedar shakes on a wood frame. It exhibits mid-century modern and international elements, including horizontal emphasis in the flat roof and windows, use of natural light, and a floor plan incorporating the slope of the site.