Category Archives: Norwood House

Historic Norwood House
The Norwood House is the fenced white structure on city parkland located at the northwest corner of the intersection of I-35 and Riverside Drive (See Map) . The 9-acre property was once a showcase Arts & Crafts estate, featuring a high-style 1922 bungalow home – surrounded by gardens with a greenhouse, gazebo and walkways – beautifully sited overlooking the Colorado River and downtown. To the east of the house, on lower ground, were arbored bathhouses, a spring-fed swimming pool, and a pecan orchard. Today the former estate is known as Norwood Park, and the house – though recently stabilized – is no longer usable. The other historic features are long since gone, with the lower grounds currently used as a leash free dog park. The former pool is filled in with dirt.

The Norwood Posse was an advocacy group based in SRCC and directed by local resident, Wolf Sittler. The Posse continued efforts that started in the 1990s, after the City acquired the property and in response to the City’s willingness to allow it to deteriorate. Thanks in part to pressure from the Posse and SRCC members, the Parks and Recreation Department commissioned a Feasibility Study and produced the “Preferred Alternative for Norwood Park”. It was adopted by the PARD Board in December of 2011 and included the Posse’s main objective: to restore & repurpose the historic Norwood House.

The posse has since morphed into a new organization, the Norwood Park Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit. In 2013 NPF negotiated a multi-year public/private partnership agreement with the City of Austin to restore the house and operate it as a rental venue & community space. Members of the former Posse will keep us apprised of NPF’s progress in posts below.
Liaison: Wolf Sittler 447-2150

NORWOOD HOUSE MILESTONE !!!!!

Posted on March 13, 2012 by norwood

On March 2 the Board of Directors of the Norwood Park Foundation submitted a privately funded restoration/operation/maintenance proposal to PARD to save the house from demolition by neglect. PARD staff informed us they will have a response by March 26. … Continue reading →

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Norwood Stories #4…. A New Foundation

Posted on February 21, 2012 by norwood

On February 15 the Norwood Posse dismounted and was replaced by the Norwood Park Foundation (NPF). The NPF is many of the same members but now with the legal capability to sign a contract with the city to restore/rehabilitate the … Continue reading →

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NORWOOD STORIES #3…….Music!!! Feb. 14, 2012

Posted on February 14, 2012 by norwood

With music such a big part of the Austin scene, it’s no surprise that it is also a part of the history of the Norwood House. Joe Austell Small bought the Norwood House in 1961 and was the last private … Continue reading →

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Norwood Stories #1 : Team Norwood – Architecture

Posted on January 11, 2012 by norwood

If you don’t know how city bureaucracy works, it’s puzzling that the Norwood Posse official offer (July, 2011) to our cash starved Parks Dept., to privately finance the rehabilitation of the Norwood House, has not been welcomed with open arms.

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Believing is seeing

Posted on December 27, 2011 by norwood

The Norwood Posse saddled up more than 3 1/2 years ago with a vision and a mission….. to bring back the exterior look of the house and open up the inside to make it into a multi-purpose public event center. … Continue reading →

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