Driskill Hotel
Driskill Hotel | |
Romanesque Revival | |
NRHP reference No. | 69000212[1] |
---|---|
RTHL No. | 13931 |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | November 25, 1969 |
Designated RTHL | 1966 |
The Driskill, a
Today, the Driskill remains one of the premier hotels in Austin, featuring lavish bridal suites, two restaurants, and a grand ballroom. The Driskill has been operated by Hyatt Hotels Corporation since 2013.[4] The hotel was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on November 25, 1969.[5]
Architecture and design
The Driskill is composed of two interconnected buildings; the original four-story Romanesque Revival building constructed in 1886, and a 13-story annex constructed in 1930.
The original building, designed by local Austin architect Jasper N. Preston, was constructed with over six million pressed bricks and white
The hotel opened with 60 rooms including 12 corner rooms with attached baths, a rare feature in hotels of the region at the time. At the center of the hotel was a four-story open rotunda capped by a domed skylight, which functioned as a flue to suck up the hot air and cool the building; the skylight was removed when air conditioning was installed on the roof in 1950.[6] The building was designed for separate entrances for men and women. Two entrances, one on Sixth Street and another facing the alleyway on the west side the building, were reserved for men and were flanked by a saloon, billiard room, cigar shop, a newsstand and a barbershop featuring baths. The women's entrance on Brazos Street allowed female guests to proceed directly to their rooms, thereby avoiding the cigar smoke and rough talk of the cattlemen in the lobby.[8] The second floor contained the main dining room and ballroom, separate parlors for men and women, a children's dining room, and bridal suites.[6] Other embellishments included an electric bell system, marble bureaus, steam heating, and gas lighting.[9]
The 13-story annex, designed by the
History
Jesse Driskill, a successful cattle baron, had moved to Texas from Missouri in 1849. Flush with cash from his service to the
The hotel held a grand opening on December 20, 1886, and was featured in a special edition of the
Austin magnate
In 1950, the hotel embarked on a renovation, which closed off the Sixth Street entrance and removed the rotunda's skylight to make way for air conditioning units on the roof.[7] In 1952, the former Austin National Bank was transformed into a television studio for KTBC, the very first television station in Central Texas.[6]
In 1969, The Driskill closed its guest rooms in anticipation of a renovation and new tower containing a modern glass facade, which never materialized.[13] Most of its furnishings were sold, and an American-Statesman article declared, "Driskill Hotel's Fate 'Sealed'." The hotel was saved from the wrecking ball at almost the last minute, however, when a nonprofit organization called the Driskill Hotel Corporation raised $900,000.[3]
Braniff International Hotels, Inc., a division of Braniff Airways, Inc., of Dallas, Texas, bought the hotel in 1972 and began a $350,000 restoration of the grand lobby of the historic facility. Braniff reopened the hotel to customers on January 15, 1973, to very strong bookings and conference business.[14] Braniff threw an official grand reopening celebration on February 10, 1973. Over 1000 guests attended the gala event that included a parade of every Texas Governor and/or their descendants, since 1886.[15][7] All proceeds from the event went to the Austin Heritage Society, who was strategically instrumental in the resurrection of the Hotel Driskill.[15]
In 1995, The Driskill was purchased by Great American Life Insurance, who embarked on a $30 million renovation to restore the hotel to its original appearance, which had been heavily modified over the years. The hotel closed for four years for renovation work and was re-opened in a Millennium celebration on December 31, 1999.[7]
In 2013, The Driskill was purchased by Hyatt Hotels Corporation for $85 million, who embarked on an $8 million renovation of the hotel.[16] Hyatt sold the hotel to Dallas-based Woodbine Development in May 2022 for $125 million.[17]
In addition to its beautiful architecture and rich history, The Driskill continues to draw attention due to its host of tragedies and rumors of paranormal activity. The hotel is said to be home to more than one ghost, including seven-year-old Samantha, who died after falling down the Grand Staircase.[18]
Noteworthy events at the Driskill Hotel
In 1908, the
On October 12, 1931, Louis Armstrong opened a three-day performance at the Driskill Hotel. In attendance was Charles Black, a freshman at University of Texas at Austin at the time, who cited the performance as inspiration for his interest in race and civil rights.[19]
In 1934, future President
President Bill Clinton stayed in the four-room Cattle Baron's suite when he visited Austin in 1999.[21]
On September 11, 2001, Jenna Bush, daughter of President George W. Bush, was relocated to the hotel by the Secret Service in the wake of the terrorist attacks earlier that day.[22]
On March 17, 2018, actor Bill Murray and cellist Jan Vogler recited the poem "Dog" by Lawrence Ferlinghetti from the front steps of the Driskill Hotel to promote the film Isle of Dogs during the 2018 South by Southwest festival.[23]
Gallery
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Driskill Hotel in 2006
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Driskill lobby facing the Sixth Street entrance
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Driskill exterior in 2011
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Driskill lobby in 2011
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Exterior building detail
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Driskill lobby in 2015
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Driskill hotel lounge
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Travis County, Texas
- Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Travis County
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ a b "The Driskill" Texas Historic Sites Atlas Retrieved December 28, 2008.
- ^ a b c Carmack, Liz. Historic Hotels of Texas Archived 2009-03-10 at the Wayback Machine, Texas A&M University Press: College Station, Texas, 2007. pp 76-80.
- ^ http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/state&id=9021158 [dead link]
- ^ Staff Writer. "Texas – Travis County." National Register of Historic Places. Accessed January 27, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-01-27.
- ^ a b c d e f g Dolce, Ann (Fall 2012). "Driskill Hotel: A Grande Dame 125 Years Young" (PDF). Austin History Center Association. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g Downtown Austin Neighborhood Association (December 12, 2017). "Zoning Change Review Sheet". City of Austin. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
- ^ Williamson, Roxanne. ""DRISKILL HOTEL," Handbook of Texas Online". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
- ^ Shattuck, Harry (May 4, 1996). "Driskill Hotel: the heart of Texas politics". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
- ^ a b c Rambin, James (October 19, 2018). "The Driskill Hotel's Rooftop 'Bungalow' is a Forgotten Austin Oddity". Retrieved December 19, 2019.
- ^ "Historic Timeline" Driskill Hotel. 1884 Archived 2016-04-29 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Historic Timeline" Driskill Hotel. 1903 Archived 2016-04-29 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Driskill Hotel". Texas Archive of the Moving Image. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
- ^ Martha L., Zahrt (January 1973). "Braniff Opens Driskill Hotel". B-Liner Employee Newsletter. 16 (1): 6.
- ^ a b content
- ^ Novak, Shonda (March 9, 2013). "Hyatt acquires storied Driskill Hotel". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
- ^ "Hyatt Sells Austin's Driskill Hotel, Named Most-Haunted Spot in Texas, Where Louis Armstrong Played, and LBJ Romanced Lady Bird". 16 May 2022.
- ^ "Austin's Haunted Driskill Hotel: History & Ghosts | Walking Tours of Austin". Walking Tours of Austin. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
- ^ Burns, Ken (September 15, 2016). "Ken Burns: Why the African American history museum belongs to all of us". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
- ^ "Historic Timeline" Driskill Hotel. 1934 Archived 2016-04-29 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "The Driskill Hotel". Austin Postcard. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
- ^ "Complete 911 Timeline: Bush's Actions on 9/11". Archived from the original on 2010-12-30. Retrieved 2018-02-20.
- ^ Smith, Andy (December 19, 2019). "SXSW at The Driskill Hotel". SXSW. Retrieved December 26, 2019.