The Commodore Perry Estate is now open in Hyde Park! The architectural landmark, which sits on 10 pristine acres just north of the UT campus, has quite the storied past. Originally built at the height of the Jazz Age in 1928 as the country home of Edgar and Lutie Perry, the property is now home to a gorgeous in town resort.
The History Of The Estate
Baylor grad Edgar Perry was a very successful business man who made his money shipping cotton from Taylor, Texas to Europe until 1929. He is also the man behind the Commodore Perry Hotel (now an office building at 802 Brazos), the development of the Highland Park West subdivision in northwest Austin, the Perry-Brooks Office Building, and he was a partner in the Stephen F. Austin hotel downtown.
In 1928, according to texashistorichomes.com, Perry was playing golf across the street at the Hancock Golf Course, then known as the Austin Country Club, when he noticed the gravel pit across the street. Always mindful of improving the appearance of a community, he purchased the 10 acre site and hired the prominent Dallas architect, Henry Bowers Thomson.
Inspired by the owner’s European travels, the original Commodore Perry Estate included a large Italianate mansion, carriage house, swimming pool, bowling alley, green house, six-car garage, and formal gardens. At the time, the Italian Renaissance Revival mansion, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, set a precedent for entertaining.
In 1944, Edgar Perry sold the estate declaring the mansion was, “a great place to throw a party, but too big to live in.” Since then it has served as a Catholic girl’s school and a learning center for an Indian guru.
Inside The Commodore Perry Estate, Auberge Resorts Collection
The new Commodore Perry Estate marks Auberge’s first urban estate – not to mention its first property in Texas. Local developer Clark Lyda, in collaboration with The Marchbanks Company, worked for many years to acquire Commodore Perry Estate, selecting Auberge Resorts Collection as the hospitality partner to bring his vision for the property to life.
The centerpiece is the original 10,800-square-foot Mansion where all five bedrooms of the Perry family’s original residence have been transformed into incredibly charming and luxurious hotel suites. We got a peek at the details of the suites during construction and we can assure you that the suites are quite impressive.
The mansion includes a new craft cocktail bar and a Solarium providing informal dining experiences, as well as a Dining Room, Breakfast Nook, Living Room, and Library. The highlight of each room is the one-of-a-kind detail and decor. Shoutout to designer and creative director Ken Fulk who spent over two years of shopping excursions to Round Top Antiques Fair to collect a mix of bespoke details and furnishings.
The property also features: a new three-story inn, 50-foot oval swimming pool, fitness center, organic kitchen garden, Lutie’s Ice Cream Bike, Lutie’s Garden Restaurant, and a chapel, perfect for intimate weddings and social happenings.
The Commodore Perry Estate, Auberge Resorts Collection is now open to members and guests. Lutie’s Garden Restaurant will be open to the public sometime this fall.
Photos by Douglas Friedman for Auberge Resorts.
