Austin, Texas story
Shadows and Grandeur
In 1855, northwest of Austin's city limits, a young couple set out to build their dream suburban estate. They commissioned master builder Abner Cook to construct a grand Greek Rev…
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In 1855, northwest of Austin's city limits, a young couple set out to build their dream suburban estate. They commissioned master builder Abner Cook to construct a grand Greek Revival home on nearly eighteen acres of land. Today, we know it as the Neill-Cochran House Museum, and it is considered one of Austin's three most important historic residences.
But this beautiful home holds a complex and sobering history. Hidden on the grounds is Austin's only intact slave quarters, a physical reminder of the labor and lives that built the city. Owned by the National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in The State of Texas, the museum now works to interpret Austin and Texas history from 1839 all the way to 1930.
It is a place where the grandeur of the past meets the raw truth of its creation. Keep walking as we explore more of Austin's layered history.
Updated June 2026