The Mansion is a Texas Historic Landmark, an Austin Historic Landmark and is listed with the National Register of Historic places. It was designed by noted Dallas architect Henry Coke Knight to be the state headquarters for the Texas Federation of Women's Clubs and is considered to be one of the best examples of Georgian Revival architecture in Texas. It was completed in 1931 with assistance from noted philanthropist, Clara Driscoll, whose Austin residence was Laguna Gloria, current home of the Austin Museum of Art.
The Grand Ballroom, the largest of its kind in central Texas. The polished oak floor spans over four thousand square feet (two average houses could fit inside!) and the ceiling soars to thirty feet. The room is dramatically illuminated with vintage bronze and crystal wall sconces, for a total of seventy candlelight bulbs and a thousand sparkling crystal drops!
The Formal Dining Room features dramatic classical columns and expansive bay windows. Victorian couches and period tables and chairs furnish this lovely space.
The Victorian Parlor features a fireplace and antique furniture. Chairs and sofas are clustered for relaxed and easy conversation.
The Library features a collection of Texana, including books by and about notable women. It is a comfortable retreat with antique sofas and armchairs.
In the nineteen-thirties and forties, the Georgian Room was an operating tea room. The original hat-check stand is there, along with hardwood flooring and wall sconces. It is basically a ballroom in miniature, with tall, elegant windows and a vaulted ceiling.
