Paggi, Michael, House

The Michael Paggi House, part of which was built prior to the Civil War, is significant to Austin as one of the earliest remaining Greek Revival homes in the city. Built outside the old town site of Austin, along the road that crossed Barton Creek and approached the Colorado River near the mouth of Shoal Creek at a place which was a favorite ford of travelers, the Paggi House was the major house in the vicinity and is important as a roadside stop for travelers. In addition, it was an early plantation house, as well as the home of one of Austin's early prominent businessmen and continued to be used as a private residence until vacated in 1967.

The road passing near the house in the early days ran parallel with the Colorado River and was to the north-northwest of the house. The people, who lived on the land at this point were probably hospitable, conditioned by necessity. It is likely that travelers arriving at this point, approaching the city of Austin to the northeast would have asked for lodging rather than try to ford the Colorado River late at night or when the river was high.

The owner of the land in the 1850's was Colonel Sterling W. Goodrich, a native of Virginia who arrived in Austin in 1853. The same year, he bought a 1,010 acre estate out of the Isaac Decker Teague, in which the future Paggi property was included, from James H. Raymond. The property belonged to the Goodrich family for years and was known by that name before it was associated with Michael Paggi. It would have been unusual for Goodrich to have built his home at any place on his estate other than the high point overlooking the Colorado River where the brick house known as the Paggi House stands today.

In 1860, the Goodrich family numbered six, and the oldest part of the brick structure would have been ample housing, even by plantation standards. In the manner of a Southern planter with fifty or so people helping with his plantation. Colonel Goodrich had his own grist mill, sawmill, cotton gin, and reaping equipment for hay cultivation. He owned the east bank of a portion of the strong flowing Barton Creek which was capable of powering his mills.

The radical changes in the economy following the Civil War caused Goodrich to sell 7.95 acres of his tract, apparently the homestead overlooking the Colorado, to George B. Zimpelman and a partner, two Austin land speculators. By 1867, Goodrich aged 65, and his family lived in a house a mile or so further back in the estate which was no longer a prospering plantation. On May 18, 1868, Colonel Sterling Goodrich died, and it was not long until the family was mortgaging the land. In 1870, the estate was partitioned, following a suit by seven of Goodrich's children.

Little is known about the property including the brick house in the 1870's and 1880's, but other sections of the original Goodrich plantation were subdivided, leading to land speculation in the area. Texas Ellen Goodrich daughter of Colonel Goodrich, and her husband subdivided almost 50 acres, known as Evergreen Heights, south of the house. Speculations probably accounted for the long period of time that Zimpelman and another partner held the tract of land.' Zimpelman is one of the most interesting of the nineteenth century promoters in Austin. He was a sheriff, surveyor, banker, and insurance agent during the 17 years that he held the Goodrich lands. The occupant of the house during this time is unknown.

In 1878, the county opened a new from the Colorado River at Shoal Creek, southward near the east side of the brick home. The road was to serve purchasers of lots in Evergreen Heights. This, then, was the New Fred-ericksburg Road of the late 1870's. After 97 years, this road is now the "Old Fredericksburg Road," but it still runs along the east side of the original Goodrich homestead.

Before Michael Paggi bought Zimpelman's land in 1883-1884, he had been raised in Italy, lived in France, immigrated to Mexico in the 1860's, arrived in San Antonio in the late 1860's, and was in Travis County by 1870. In 1871, he leased mill properties on Barton Creek consisting of a turbine water wheel, mill, houses, ice machine, and grist mill. Later that year he went to Europe and purchased more ice machinery and by 1872 was running the Austin Ice Company on the river at San Jacinto Street, and a soda water and syrup manufacturing company at Pecan and Brazos. Among other smaller businesses, Paggi opened a wagon and carriage sales office and yard on Pecan Street in the 1870's.

About 1870 Paggi married, and by the time he purchased an unimproved lot in Evergreen Heights in 1883, he had a family of eight. In 1884 Paggi bought the house and land on the bluff above the Colorado, from Zimpelman. The long occupancy of the house by Paggi and their descendants has given their name to the former Goodrich homestead. Paggi's children grew up in the house, and additional rooms were added as more space was needed for the family which eventually numbered ten. Eventually, the family owned the surrounding 57 acres which they farmed. Butler Brick Company operated a tram road across the property and scooped dirt from what is now the Missouri Pacific Railroad area, just to the east of the house.

Mrs. Michael Paggi died in 1906, and Michael died in 1911. When Mrs. Paggi died, partitioning of the property occurred, and the homestead was given to Helen Paggi (Mrs. Joseph) Powell. Although Helen Paggi Powell died soon after the death of her mother, the home remained in the Powell family. Her two sons, Victor and Joseph Powell were brought up in the house, and presently owned it and 1.7 acres of the land. The Powell brothers have recently leased the house and grounds to an Austin architectural firm, which intends to restore the residence for office space and to develop commercially the section of property below the bluff, nearest the river.