University of Texas Austin - Cactus Yearbook (Austin, TX)

Until 1957, the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps had ' headquarters ' there, with its anti-aircraft guns on the front lawn and a firing range in the attic. AKING A STAND majestically and serenely near the northwest corner of the campus, the Littlefield Home was a unique relic from the University ' s past. While not as large, modern, or imposing as the rusty Communications Complex that loomed darkly from behind, it still presented a dignified, commanding presence that almost whispered aloud the history of the University it patiently watched grow from infancy. Ornately and almost pretentiously Vic- torian, the house provided a taste of the elegance and luxury of an irretrievable, earlier period, and also showed a glimpse of the man who built it, and much of UT. George Washington Littlefield, a former Texas Ranger, fought for the Confederacy in the War Between the States. In Tennessee, he was wounded in the leg by shrapnel and was promoted to the rank of major for gallantry on the battlefield. He returned to Texas in 1863, married Alice Payne Tillar, and proceeded to amass a huge fortune in the cattle business. The Littlefields moved to Austin in 1883 the year the University opened and became a prominent banker. Although not a highly educated man, Lit- tlefield became a member of the Board of Regents in 1911 and served until shortly before his death in 1920. During his ad- ministrative relationship with the young and still relatively poor institution, he served as a sort of financial guardian and generous The House That George Built by DOUGLAS JOHNSON benefactor. His bank covered overdrafts for the University without interest and when Gov. James Ferguson vetoed the Texas Legislature ' s 1917-1919 operating appropria- tions for UT, Littlefield pledged his personal fortune to keep the school afloat. Littlefield donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to UT for various construction, scholarly and memorial projects. One con- tribution included a $250,000 donation to honor men and women of the Confederacy. This donation formed the Littlefield Foun- dation and is responsible for the statues of notable Southerners on the South Mall. Construction of the house began in 1893 and was completed in the spring of 1894, at a cost of $50,000. Constructed of red-brown brick and dark red sandsto ne, the house combined the grand Victorian style with a French flair. Elegant turrets reached toward the sky, polished blue granite columns fram- ed the front entrances on both the first and second floors and a veranda encircled both floors, with lacy, iron grillwork on the por- ches, railings, fanlights and doors. Fifteen kinds of woods were used throughout the 17-room house, and there were five marble coal-burning fireplaces for heat; gas and electrical fixtures supplied light. In the front parlor, the scene of several family weddings, a framed mirror ran from the floor to the ceiling, decorated with a mural. A two-story carriage house at the back of the lot once held the major ' s match- ed teams of horses and the carriages. A red cement carriage drive was lined by red hibiscus, the major ' s favorite flower. The north yard was Mrs. Littlefield ' s rose garden. As in Littlefield ' s will, the house became University property in 1935 and then housed several different tenants. In 1936, it became the headquarters of the Austin and Universi- ty Centennial Exposition. From 1938 until 1942, when the Music Building was com- pleted, the Department of Music ' s offices were there. Until 1957, the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps had " headquarters " there, with its anti-aircraft guns on the front lawn and a firing range in the attic. After 1957, until restoration by University alumni began in 1967, the house was again used for music student rehearsal rooms. In 1982, the Littlefield Home stood at the corner of 24th Street and Whitis Avenue, no longer on the outskirts of a tiny rural col- lege, but surrounded by the large, modern buildings of a major university. One of the oldest buildings on campus, it sheltered the UT Development Board, and the carriage house held the offices of the University News and Information Service. But even though much of its surround- ings were altered in 88 years, the Littlefield Home remained a constant reminder of a time before the University of Texas was so large, so rich, and so imposing. It stood as an elegant symbol of, and memorial to, the man with a dream who through the gift of his wealth and talents, helped push the University toward excellence. 10 Littlefield Home