Austin: Neill-Cochran House Museum - 1855 Bedroom

Austin hosted its annual Museum Day on Sunday, September 18, 2016. Mike and I took advantage of the opportunity to enjoy free admission to several museums and historic homes. Our third stop was the Neill-Cochran House Museum (2310 San Gabriel St.).

In 1855, Washington and Mary Hill commissioned master builder Abner Cook to construct a Greek-Revival-style house northwest of downtown Austin. The Hills never lived in the house; its current name refers to two families who lived here after the Hills built it. Colonel Andrew and Jennie Chapman Neill purchased the house in 1876, and it was later sold to Judge Thomas and Bessie Rose Cochran in the 1890s. It was subsequently acquired by the National Society of Colonial Dames in the State of Texas in 1958 and converted into a museum.

Today, the first floor reflects the Neills' occupancy during the Victorian era, while the second floor reflects the Cochrans' residency. Here, you can see one of the home's bedrooms. An informational booklet and display card provided a few details on this room:

1855 Bedroom
Washington and Mary Hill never moved into the home they commissioned from Abner Cook in 1855. However, by the mid-1850s, several grand homes had been constructed in Austin, and fine furnishings could be found throughout Texas. This room reflects the styles of the era -- late Empire into Victorian.

The Victorian-style half-tester bed has the earliest Texas provenance in the Neill-Cochran House Museum collection; its headboard features intricately carved flowers. Other furnishings in the room date to the Federal and Empire periods. A walnut dressing table with mirror features six small drawers and Tuscan-style columns for the front legs. Both the mahogany armoire and the walnut chest of drawers have deep pillar and scroll Empire-style features. The walnut drop-leaf bedside table also features scrolling, has two leaves and two drawers, and, like the bed, came to Texas in the 1840s. The round-top leather trunk has a dropped-forged metal trim. The large size reflects a reality of 19th-century travel -- guests visited for months at a time.

Following is more detailed information on a few of the key pieces shown here, as listed on a nearby display card:

Half-Tester Bed
American, circa 1846. Attributed to Prudent Mallard. Purchased in New Orleans in 1846 by Judge Ruben A. Reeves and his bride Sarah en route from Kentucky to Palestine, Texas, to make their new home. Reeves later became Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court and was appointed Justice of the Court of New Mexico Territory.
Gift of Mrs. R.W. McClendon (1969.03.01)

Bedside Table
British, circa 1820–1850. Drop-leaf walnut table. Features a shaped pedestal, four under-curved feet, and two drawers, each with a wooden knob.
Donor unknown (nd.076.01)

Taken in: United States / Texas / Austin / West University (show map)

Taken on: September 18, 2016

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Sets appears in: • Autumn & Winter in Austin - 2016/2017

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