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Designed in 1940 by native Austin architects Arthur Fehr (1904-1969) and Charles Granger Jr. (1913-1966), the Darnall House was one of the earliest international style homes built in Texas. Fehr and Granger designed the home for their friends, Dr. Charles Milton (1906-1984) and Gertrude “Queenie” (1911-2010) Darnall. Dr. Darnall moved back to Austin in 1934 from Rochester, Minnesota to open his medical practice. The couple also welcomed the birth of their daughter that year. Dr. Darnall later worked in the Army Medical Corps during World War II. He served local and statewide communities of medicine.
The home is located in the Old West Austin Historic District. There are only four international style homes present in the district, and the Darnall House is only one of two that follow an asymmetrical floor plan. A heavily pitched Cordova cream limestone veneer from Texas quarries is a unique local adaptation to the international architectural style. Metal-sash casement windows are typically grouped in ribbon patterns that accentuate the horizontal emphasis of the design. The home also included rare materials for the time: concrete piers and beams, mahogany veneer plywood, fluorescent lights and steel railings. The rear or southeast elevation contains a second-floor terrace that provides a panoramic view of the Shoal Creek Greenbelt and the University of Texas Tower, completed in 1937. The rear portion of the lot slopes steeply to the shoal creek basin. Fehr and Granger designed the home to maximize the creek’s breezes and natural surroundings. Inside, many of the original fixtures have been restored to the home. In keeping with international style, the home features little to no decorative detailing and ornamentation, other than the presence of original built-in casework. The design is a distinctive residence in the Old West Austin Historic District. (RTHL - 2022) |
