Heritage, Volume 13, Number 4, Fall 1995 Page: 27
30 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Historic Tour of
French Legation Museum
AustinIn 1839 the Kingdom of France, ruled by
His Majesty, Louis Phillippe of Orleans,
officially recognized the Republic of Texas.
Alphonse Dubois de Saligny was named
charge d'affaires to the Republic and in
early 1840 he presented his credentials to
the President of the Republic of Texas. In
the fall of 1840, the colorful de Saligny
purchased 22 acres of land from Anson
Jones (stretching from the present-day
boundaries of 7th to 11th Streets and San
Marcos Street to the southbound access
road of Interstate 35) and began construction
of his residence, known through the
years as Legation de France. Designed in
the Greek Revival bayou style, reminiscent
of homes built in southern Louisiana
during this period, the house is constructed
of loblolly pine from the Bastrop area of
Texas. Today, the French Legation Museum
stands as one of the oldest existing
frame buildings in the middle of Austin
near the city center.
Soon afterTexas became a state in 1848,
the home was purchased by Dr. Joseph W.
Robertson, beginning a century of
Robertson family ownership. The house
was purchased from the Robertson family
in 1948 by the State of Texas and, under
the auspices of Mrs. Walter Prescott Webb,
put in the custody of the Daughters of the
Republic of Texas who restored it and
opened the house and grounds to the public
in 1956. The house is beautifully furnished
with original and period pieces, and
visitors to the site will discover that today
becomes yesterday at the Legation de
France, Republic de Texas.
The Legation's kitchen is the only authentic reproduction of an early Creole
kitchen in the United States. The house's
parlor contains some furnishings that belonged
to de Saligny. Others are period
pieces.
The French Legation is at 802 San
Marcos in the middle of Austin. The parking
lot.is on the corner of Embassy Drive
and Ninth
Street. From .Interstate 35
northbound,
take the 6th12th
Street
exits. (FromI35
southbound,
take
the 8th-3rd
Streets exit.)
Go east on 8th
Street, and
turn left on
Embassy.
Tours are
conducted
Tuesday
through Sunday
1 to 5 p.m.
Admission is
$2.50 for
adults, $1 for
children 11 to
18, and 50
cents for children
under 10.
Special rates
are available
for groups of
30 or more.Facilities at the French Legation are handicapped
accessible.
For more information, call the French
Legation Museum at (512) 472-8180. The
Daughters of the Republic of Texas also
invite the public to visit their museum in
Austin at 510 Anderson Lane East. The
phone number is (512) 339-1997.HERITAGE * FALL 1995 27
Architecture of Texas series
I I X AS i I)0 t R T It 0 ( S I
by Kennedy Colombo 12"x 25"
These Limited-Edition Prints faithfully capture in
full color the detail of the watercolor paintings.
Prints: $28 each/$45 both (tax & shipping included)
color samples available upon request
Sapienza Studios 1817 B Kenwood, Austin, TX 787041
B I S 1 0. -P S P A I A ( f
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Texas Historical Foundation. Heritage, Volume 13, Number 4, Fall 1995, periodical, Autumn 1995; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth45411/m1/27/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Historical Foundation.