Tax Credit Program Highlight: Driskill Hotel

Austin, Travis County

1886

Designation	Individually listed in the National Register, Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Historic Use	Hotel
Current Use	Hotel
Total Rehabilitation Cost	$2,717,338
Qualified Rehabilitation Expenses	$1,822,608
Date Certified	February 17, 2016
	Certified for state tax credits only

History

Built in 1885-1886, the Driskill is the oldest operating hotel in Austin. The original four story brick structure with limestone detailing is a prime example of the Romanesque Revival style, designed by Jasper N. Preston. To build the hotel, successful Missourian cattle baron Jesse Driskill used funds earned from supplying beef to the Confederate Army during the Civil War to build “the finest hotel south of St. Louis.” The Driskill occupies nearly half a block in Austin’s Central Business District with arched entries on three sides and two-story projecting porticoes along Brazos and East Sixth Streets. The main lobby features a central rotunda with a prominent stained glass ceiling, which replaces a previous rotunda. A 12-story tower was added in 1930.

Rehabilitation Project

The current rehabilitation project focused on an update of the interior guest spaces in both sections of the building. An upgraded HVAC system reused the existing ductwork, providing increased energy efficiency. Public corridors and the 100+ historic hotel rooms were refreshed with new carpeting, wallpaper, and paint. No walls were moved and no spaces were altered as part of this project; only the systems and finishes were updated as part of an ongoing process of repair and modernization for the working hotel.