Building History

The property originally belonged to Charles L. Mann, who purchased it from the State of Texas in December of 1850. He sold it in 1851, and after a series of hands, it was sold to W. George Browne in 1863. W.G. and Julia Ann Browne sold the property to Frank Brown in November 1, 1870.

This house was built circa 1889 for Effie W. Dignan, widow of J.F. Dignan. She was the daughter of Frank Brown (1832-1913), who lived next door and from whom she purchased the land December 15,1888 (see Frank Brown House). The following March, Effie took a mechanics lien with carpenter and builder Henry Loughrey for construction of this late Victorian frame house with a wrap-around porch. She lived here for a time with her sister and sister’s husband, Henry Hutchings, proprietor of Hutchings Printing House on Congress Avenue before the Hutchings built a house next door.

Brown’s wife and Effie’s mother, Georgiana McLemore Brown, died in 1897. Both Frank and Effie sold their property in October of 1900 to Louisa Caswell, wife of D.H. Caswell, who sold it in 1908.

Significant Persons Associated with Building
1889-1900: Effie Brown Dignan, daughter of Frank Brown
1900-1911: Louisa Caswell
1911-1916: Helen & Walter Murray Graham; Enfield Realty Company.
1916-1932: Mary Hamilton Mills (1845-1932) & Lillie H. Maloney – daughters of Gov. A.J. Hamilton. Mills was allegedly the first American woman to live in El Paso. Her husband was the customs collector there, and later U.S. consul in Mexico. The Mills returned to Austin in 1907 and he died in 1913. Lillie Maloney was a lifelong resident of Austin and the mother of Mrs. John H. Chiles (see 1912 Chiles House, 1606 West Ave.)