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DESCRIPTION: THE ROBINSON-MACKEN HOUSE 8 9 9 2
The Robinson-Macken house is a beautiful example of the Texas inter-
pretation of Second Empire Style. Characteristics of this style found
in the home include bOcketed eaves; paired windows; metal curbs; arched
double doors with glass panels; mansard roof with concave sides, dormer
windows and porthole dormer; eyebrow-like window heads; projecting
and receding surfaces and interior fireplaces with arched openings.
The house was built on land initially purchased from the state by John
C. Raymond in 1851. John H. Robinson, Sr. assumed possession in 1859
and by 1872 was living on the property, scribed as lots 1, 2, 3 and
4 of Block 77, Original City of Austin.M( Evidence indicates that in
1876 Robinson demolished a brick dwelling which stood approximately on
the center of lots 3 and 4 (addresM as 700 Rio Grande) in order to
build a new residence on the spot. The Austin DailyStatesman of
July 1, 1876, described this replacement dwelling as a frame house with
octagon end and bay windows, thus closely matching the description of
the house currently at 702 Grande. Cost of the new home was esti-
mated to be $5000 or $6000. The house was built using a pier and
beam foundation, balloon-frame construction, eighteen-inch-wide cross
boards and square nails.
Although origi'4nlly built without kitchen and bath facilities, these
were added to the west (rear) side of the house sometime before 1900.
The new northern kitchen and southern bathroom wings, both two stories
tall, were connected by a screened porch with stairway. combined
addition probably replaced an older two-story back porch. Eugene
Robinson purc gjed the property rights from his siblings after his mother
died in 1902. Between 1909 and 1912 he ordered the house moved fifty
feet to the north in order totuiTrVlTaw home for himself at-10~0Rio
Grande. At this time alterations were made on the north side, where the
dining room windows were replaced and raised to a higher position on
the wall. A portico may have been removed as well, for the exterior (6)
shows evidence of alteration between the parlor and dining room areas.
Although the house now sits in the middle of a 138 foot deep lot, the
move left less than ten feet separating the structure from its new
north and south property lines.
A variety of interior changes have occurred throughout the years, in-
cluding installation of an ornate fireplace mantel in the parlor and
of French doors leading from the central hallway to the dining room,
addition of a closet in the second floor south bay bedroom and re-
moval of second floor bedroom sinks which connected to an attic cistern.
In 1923 Eugene Robinson sold the home; it changed hands econd time
before being purchased by the Joe Macken family in 1928. The Mackens
made a variety of interior and exterior changes, including removal of
the roof dormers and chimneys, addition of a second floor screened
porch on the east (front) side, replacement of the kitchen cabinets and
sink, changes in the downstairs bath, partition of the second floor
south bay bedroom, replacement of the original plaster ceiling wlth
other materials as they fell, creation of photographic darkroom from
part otg he butler's pantry and addition of closets throughout the
house.