Old West Austin in Travis County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Darnall House
Photographed by Jeff Leichsenring, February 22, 2026
1. Darnall House Marker
Inscription.
Darnall House. . 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 several 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. In keeping with International Style, the home features little to no decorative detailing and ornamentation, other than original built-in casework. The design is a distinctive residence in the Old West Austin Historic District.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark.
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 several 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
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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. In keeping with International Style, the home features little to no decorative detailing and ornamentation, other than original built-in casework. The design is a distinctive residence in the Old West Austin Historic District.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Erected 2022 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 23684.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Architecture. A significant historical year for this entry is 1940.
Location. 30° 17.919′ N, 97° 45.061′ W. Marker is in Austin, Texas, in Travis County. It is in Old West Austin. It is on Wooldridge Drive south of W 29th Street, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2805 Wooldridge Dr, Austin TX 78703, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Central Texas. It is also in the American South. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Republic of Texas, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 23, 2026. It was originally submitted on February 22, 2026, by Jeff Leichsenring of Garland, Texas. This page has been viewed 56 times since then. Photos:1, 2. submitted on February 22, 2026, by Jeff Leichsenring of Garland, Texas. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.
