Preservation Austin has received an Honor Award from Preservation Texas recognizing the rehabilitation of the McFarland-McBee House, the non-profit’s headquarters. Preservation Texas’s Honor Awards is a biennial program that recognizes exceptional individuals and projects that advance historic preservation across the state. Preservation Austin’s staff and board joined other awardees in San Antonio on Oct. 30 to accept this honor.
The project team for the rehabilitation project included architects Hutson Gallagher, LLC, Tsen Engineering, and ATC Contractors, with landscaping by David Wilson Garden Design and interior design by Heather Herndon, JS Dwellings.
The McFarland-McBee House, built in 1947, is a landmark of Austin culture and preservation advocacy. Located at 3805 Red River in the Hancock neighborhood, the property was built by J. P. and Byrdie McFarland, who infused their dream home with their love for the Streamline Moderne style, as seen in the houses, hotels, and nightclubs of South Florida. The McFarlands lived here with their young sons, James and John, until 1954.
By 1962, the house had become a rental property, providing a home to students, servicemen, and musicians. Longtime resident Tom Pittman of the Austin Lounge Lizards band lived there in the 1990s with his wife Madgie Hollingshead, and the house became a fixture in the bluegrass music scene. Music legends like Joni Mitchell, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Marcia Ball were among the attendees at their well-known parties, including an annual gathering at the end of each SXSW.
In 2014, Preservation Austin led a grassroots movement to save this house from demolition. The nonprofit purchased the house in 2019, listed it in the National Register of Historic Places in 2020, and embarked on its extensive rehabilitation to serve as a headquarters for Preservation Austin’s offices, advocacy, and programming. To express gratitude for the generosity of the McBee Family Foundation, in 2024, Preservation Austin renamed the house in honor of Sue and Frank McBee, leaders in Austin’s cultural life and preservation movement.
“Preserving this special historic place was an unprecedented undertaking for our small nonprofit, and Preservation Austin is honored to receive this statewide recognition,” Lindsey Derrington, Preservation Austin’s Executive Director, said. “Every historic building brings its own set of challenges, and the McFarland-McBee House is particularly unusual in its design and construction. Its rehabilitation involved hundreds of decisions and extensive problem-solving. Our project team cared deeply for Preservation Austin and for the building, which made all the difference.”
Preservation Austin empowers Austinites to shape a more inclusive, resilient, and meaningful community culture through preservation. For more information, visit preservationaustin.org.
