National Register Listing

Southwestern Telegraph and Telephone Building

a.k.a. Frank Brown Building;John L. Martin Building

410 Congress Ave., Austin, TX

The Southwestern Telegraph and Telephone Building is significant to Austin by virtue of both its architecture, the handsome Romanesque Revival facade fronting on Congress Avenue, and its association with important early citizens and industry. Although several nineteenth century buildings remain on Congress, the Southwestern Telegraph and Telephone Building exhibits one of the few essentially unaltered nineteenth century facades still visible on the Avenue, historically Austin's principle street. From its construction in 1886, the building has served many commercial functions, the most important period being the twenty years of its use as headquarters of the Southwestern Telegraph and Telephone Company.

Because of both the variety of architectural styles represented by the surrounding buildings and the dramatic view of the State Capitol Building, Congress Avenue is today, as it has been throughout the city's history, a source of pride to Austinites, Edwin Waller, who oversaw the 1839 survey and original plan for the new capital of the Texas Republic, determined that Congress Avenue should afford a monumental approach to the government buildings that were intended for the hill at the north end of Congress. The Avenue was laid out wider than other north-south streets, and the lots were sited to front on the Avenue, Early Austin growth centered in the East Sixth (Pecan) Street-Congress Avenue area. By the 1870's, with the advent of the railroads and the location of the terminal on Congress, building activity turned the comer from East Sixth to focus increasingly on Congress. The construction of present granite capitol building, 1882-1888, served to complete the shift from East Sixth to Congress, establishing the Avenue as the preeminent commercial. Congress was the first street to be paved in brick.

Reflecting these various stages of Austin's growth, the Southwestern Telegraph and Telephone Building assumes further significance through its association with important citizens and early industry. Frank Brown, who built the original brick building in 1886, was a prominent public servant and local historian. Born in Tennessee in 1833, he came to Texas with his family in 1835 and settled in Austin in 184-5. For forty years, he held public office as either County Clerk of Travis County or Clerk of the District Court. He is best remembered for writing The Annals of Travis County and the City of Austin, which was published in 1901.

In 1898, the Southwestern Telegraph and Telephone Company acquired the building from Brown. To accommodate their expanding facilities, the telephone company remodeled the building in 1899 and installed the first common battery exchange in Austin's history.

The Romanesque Revival facade which resulted from this renovation was designed by Austin architect, A. O. Watson. Born in Washington County, Texas and educated at A, and M, College, Watson practiced architecture in Austin in partner-ship with Jacob Larmour before starting his own firm in the 1890'Sa Watson is credited with several important structures in Austin, including the classic revival addition to the State Hospital, the Austin High School Building, and the Congregational Church.

The building has been zoned "historic" by the Austin City Council.

The present owners, Ivan R. Williams, Jr, and Jack N, Price, plan an adaptive use restoration which will include office space for their law firm. The facade will be restored to its c. 1900 appearance as headquarters of the Southwestern Telegraph and Telephone Company,

Local significance of the building:
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1978.