The Deodar Cedar and the Victorian Mansion: A Texan Himalayan Marvel

The Littlefield House, located at 24th and Whitis streets in Austin, Texas, is a historic treasure that blends Victorian elegance with a touch of the Himalayas. The home was built in 1893 for Civil War veteran George Littlefield, who was a successful businessman in the bank and cattle trades and a major benefactor to UT. It was designed using the popular Victorian style at a cost of $50,000. While living in the house, Major Littlefield and his wife Alice made a tremendous number of contributions to the university, including funds for the Littlefield Fountain, the Main Building, and the Littlefield Dormitory.

They also developed the Littlefield Building downtown, finished in 1912. When Alice Littlefield died in 1935, she left the home to the university. Today the ground floor has been refurbished and is used for University functions. The upstairs is used for office space by the Office of University Events.

What makes this house truly unique is the Deodar Cedar, or as it’s also known, the Himalayan Cedar, that George Littlefield had imported from the Himalayas. To create the perfect home for this tall evergreen, the Littlefields had the soil under the tree replaced with Himalayan soil. Today, this 57-foot tree still stands on the southwest side of the house, readily discernible by its distinctive horizontal layers. It is ranked as the #2 State Champion deodar cedar by Texas A&M Forest Service’s Lists Big Tree Registry. The Littlefield House, with its grand Victorian facade and the majestic Deodar Cedar, tells the tale of a time when luxury and nature blended together.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons