National Register Listing

Wooten, Goodall, House

700 W. 19th St., Austin, TX

The Goodall Wooten House, built in 1898-1899, was presented to Dr. and Mrs. Wooten as a wedding gift from Goodall Wooten's father, Thomas Dudley Wooten. Designed by Charles O'Connell, a Dallas architect, the original structure cost $8,100. In 1910 the addition to the library and the extension of the gallery across the front cost $10,000.

The original owner of the house, Goodall Harrison Wooten, was born in Paris, Texas, in 1869 and moved to Austin with his family in 1872. After receiving his B.S. and M.A. degrees from the University of Texas in 1891 and 1892 and a degree from the New York College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1895, he began practicing medicine in Austin. Wooten served as president of the Austin Chamber of Commerce in 1926 and 1937. In 1935 he and his wife gave 125 acres of land on Bull Creek to form a boy scout camp, named in honor of their son, Tom Wooten.

Dr. Wooten married Ella Newsome in 1897. Also an active civic volunteer, Mrs. Wooten was the first woman to serve on the Board of Directors for the Chamber of Commerce, was a charter member of the Red Cross, and served on the Board of Directors for Brackenridge Hospital.

The property surrounding the house included an entire city block and was beautifully landscaped with flowers, fruit trees and sculptures. Mrs. Wooten landscaped her lawn with formal gardens containing tree wisterias, azaleas, tulips, a large formal rose garden with a central fountain, as well as an aviary with parakeets. As her reputation as a gardener gained notoriety, the first spring garden pilgrimage in Austin was organized to display Mrs. Wooten's gardens. Although the beautiful landscaping around the Wooten House has since deteriorated, the spring garden pilgrimage remains an annual Austin event.

Following the death of Goodall Wooten in 1942, Mrs. Wooten sold the house to Fred Adams near the end of World War II. After the war there was a severe housing shortage at the University of Texas; thus, Adams enclosed the second floor gallery and furnished the third floor with additional bedrooms and baths to provide for student housing. In addition, Adams sold many of the exterior plants and transformed the garden areas on the west side of the house into parking areas. First leased as a women's dormitory and sorority, the house was sold in the early 1950's to the Christian Faith and Life Community as a dormitory and meeting hall.

The Wooten House has recently changed hands and is now leased as a student boarding house. The Living Services Inc. is planning to buy the house to restore as a residence and center for quadriplegics attending the University of Texas.

The name of the Wooten family is common to Austin residents, for there is a Goodall Wooten dorm, Goodall Wooten park, Goodall Wooten elementary school and Tom Wooten camp. This house has local historical significance as the home of this prominent Austin family. Acclaimed for its unique landscaping and imposing architecture, the Wooten House is a good example of Austin's trend toward the classical revival styles at the turn-of-the-century. The celebrated Austin residence was featured in newspaper articles, in early photographic surveys of Austin, and on early postcards of Austin landmarks. The house remains important for it has had little permanent alteration. Standing at the edge of a student residential area, the Wooten house is significant as an anchor for that district. With the rapid growth of the University buildings and encroaching commercial establishments, the planned restoration of the Wooten House is an important step toward preserving the residential quality of the area.

Local significance of the building:
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1975.