Laguna Gloria

Laguna Gloria, an early 20th century villa revealing Mediterranean influences, is significant as the home of Clara Driscoll Sevier and Henry Hulme Sevier between 1916 and 1929. Clara Driscoll, as she preferred to be known after her divorce from Hal Sevier in 1937, is famous to Texans as the "Savior of the Alamo" and was active in civic, political, business and philanthropic activities in Texas. Her husband, Henry H. Sevier was a Texas Legislator, newspaper publisher and later Ambassador to Chile. Their home was built along the Colorado River on land originally owned by Stephen F. Austin.

On May 8, 1832, Stephen F. Austin, known as the "Father of Anglo-American settlement in Texas," wrote a letter to Samuel May Williams authorizing him to purchase land on a high bluff overlooking a lagoon on the Colorado River. To ensure the exact location, Austin sent a sketch map and detailed description of the terrain on which he planned to eventually build his home. The land was purchased for him, but his death in December 1836, shortly after the Texas War for Independence, left the property vacant for the remainder of the 19th century.

In August, 1915, Hal Sevier and his wife Clara bought a 28h-acre site from Guy H. and Ellen Collett for $4,750. Shortly after purchasing the land, the Seviers hired Harvey L. Page, an architect from San Antonio, to design a home for them, while Jack Johnson was engaged as the contractor. Laguna Gloria, as the Seviers named their new home, became their winter residence from its completion in 1916 until August 1929. During their residence in Austin, Laguna Gloria became well-known as a center of international hospitality.

The architect, Harvey L. Page, was born in Washington, D. C, in January, 1859. He attended school at Andover, Massachusetts, and the Emerson Institute at Washington, D. C. and afterwards studied architecture with J. L. Slithmeyer of Washington, architect of the National Library. After practicing architecture in Washington for several years, where he designed the Metropolitan Club and the original Army-Navy Club in Washington, D. C, Page and his wife moved in 1899 to San Antonio, Texas. There Page designed several early 20th century structures such as the International & Great Northern Railroad Station (See National Register Submission, "International & Great Northern Railroad Station, submitted 7/75) and a number of private residences. Page died in San Antonio in 1934.

Laguna Gloria's celebrated owner, Clara Driscoll, daughter of Robert and Julia Fox Driscoll, was born in St. Mary's, Texas, on April 2, 1881. Her father became involved in the cattle industry in south Texas beginning as a cattle driver after the Mexican War. Robert Driscoll made trades which eventually resulted in extensive ranch lands in south Texas. Driscoll's original 83,000 acre ranch, Palo Alto Ranch in Refugio and Victoria Counties, was located about 25 miles from Corpus Christi. Later he acquired Sweden Ranch and La Gloria Ranch in Duval County adding 53,000 acres. He again enlarged his holdings with the Los Machos Ranch near Alice of 20,000 acres and Clara Driscoll's brother, Robert, Jr., became primary manager of the ranches and farms in 1904. Following his death in 1929 she continued management of the various family ranches and business enterprises in Corpus Christi.

After being educated in Texas, New York and France, Clara Driscoll returned to south Texas where she became famous at the age of 22 for saving the Alamo from destruction. During the late 19th century a frame commercial building was built atop the ruinous walls of the Alamo and a wholesale grocery business was carried on within the former boundaries of the Mission. The city condemned the area in 1903 when the grocery wholesale company went out of business and a hotel syndicate formed to buy the land for the site of a hotel. The Daughters of the Republic of Texas urged the State to buy the property, but action was delayed because the Legislature was out of session. After unsuccessful efforts to raise private funds, Clara Driscoll, herself the grand-daughter of two survivors of the Battle of San Jacinto, bought a one-month option on the Alamo and adjoining property. When this appeared to be too little time to save the structure, she paid $10,000 for a one-year option. When the State still had not taken action the following year, she bought the property outright for $75,000, inserting a clause that she was buying the property on behalf of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas to create a park and to beautify the property. The State eventually acquired title on October 14, 1905, but gave control and custody to the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. Due to efforts in saving the Texas Shrine of Liberty at San Antonio, the Daughters of the Republic of Texas later awarded Clara Driscoll the Clara Driscoll published several books, short stories and historical articles. Her best known works, written just after the turn of the century, were The Girl of La^ Gloria (1905) and In the Shadow of the Alamo (1906). She also authored a comic opera, Mexicana, and it was produced on Broadway in 1906.

In 1906 Clara Driscoll married a young Texas Legislator from Uvalde County, Henry Hulme Sevier. Shortly after their marriage the Seviers moved to New York, but returned in 1915 to build a home in Austin. Following his two terms in the Texas House of Representatives, Sevier was editor-publisher of the Sabinal Sentinel, 1906; financial editor of the New York Sun, 1906-1912; Washington correspondent, 1912-1914; and founder and editor of the Austin American, 1914-1917. During World War I he was head of a committee on public information to combat enemy propaganda in South America.

After her brother died in 1929, Clara and Hal Sevier moved to Corpus Christi so that she could manage her bank and other Driscoll interests to which she had become sole heir. Laguna Gloria was closed and the building and grounds left in the care of Galvan, a Mexican caretaker who had come from the Driscoll ranch when the Seviers first built Laguna Gloria. Clara Driscoll proved to be a successful businesswoman, serving as president and owner of the Corpus Christi Bank and Trust, a director of the Corpus Christi National Bank, president of the Corpus Christi Property Company and president of the Kingsville Produce and Milling Company. She built the Driscoll Hotel in Corpus and continued to manage the ranching and oil property of the Robert Driscoll estate.

Clara Driscoll was also active in the Democratic party. She served as the National Democratic Committee-woman for 12 years between 1929 and 1944, which was longer than any Texan had ever served. Her efforts to save the Alamo were long rewarded and by 1932 a portrait of her by Wayman Adams hung in the Texas Senate Chambers among Houston, Austin, Lamar, and Crockett in recognition of her patriotic services as "Savior of the Alamo."

In 1933 Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Hal Sevier as the United States Ambassador to Chile. The Seviers lived in Chile between 1933 and 1935. In 1937 after their return to the United States, the Seviers were divorced and Clara took back her maiden name in 1938. Hal Sevier died in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1940.

In 1943 Clara Driscoll conveyed Laguna Gloria and the surrounding acres to the Texas Fine Arts Holding Corporation with the provision that it be maintained as an art museum. The original 28 acres had dwindled to 18 acres in ca. 1940 when the Colorado River was dammed. The The Texas Fine Arts Association is a state-wide organization devoted to the purpose of stimulating interest in art throughout the state and Clara Driscoll had been a charter member of the organization in 1911. Besides her home, she also gave $5,000 to use as an initial art fund. Since the house had been vacant for 14 years, the financial assistance was used to rennovate the house and pay the salary of Galvan, who continued as caretaker until his death. Other donations provided for the installation of a heating plant for the building. In 1961 the Texas Fine Arts Association voted to transfer the operation of Laguna Gloria to an Austin Chapter of the TFAA, known thereafter as Laguna Gloria Art Museum Incorporated. No endowment was given with the house and Laguna Gloria has depended upon membership subscriptions, profits from their annual arts and crafts "^Fiesta," private donations and a few other fund raising activities. It has only been in the last few years that the Museum has been in a financial position to make major improvements. The Laguna Gloria Board hopes to build a new building to hang displays and restore the home to use as administrative offices in the near future.

Clara Driscoll died July 17, 1945. In addition to her generous philanthropic gifts during her lifetime, she created through her will the Julia F. and Robert Driscoll Jr. Foundation to provide a hospital and free clinic in Corpus Christi for crippled and diseased children.