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

PARD staff recommends Norwood restoration!!!

Posted on September 26, 2011 by norwood

The Norwood Posse is pleased to announce that PARD staff is recommending restoration of the Norwood House. In addition they are considering adding an additional facilitiy as well as upgrades to the entire site. We are now in negotiations with … Continue reading →

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See the Norwood consultants six options

Posted on July 31, 2011 by norwood

On July 20 CasaBella Architects presented six options for the future of the Norwood property. You can see them at: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/parks/norwoodtract.htm PARD has made this presentation available for the next SRCC meeting on Monday, August 1. Two of the options include … Continue reading →

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Endgame for the Norwood House?

Posted on July 10, 2011 by norwood

Here’s a short video to introduce this message The City of Austin website about the Norwood study mentions the Norwood Posse and states that “This group will play a key role in the planning process.”

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3rd Community Input Meeting re: Norwood Study

Posted on June 29, 2011 by norwood

Norwood Park Condition Assessment and Feasibility Report Community Input Meeting The Austin Parks and Recreation Department cordially invites the public to the third community information and input meeting on the proposed Condition Assessment and Feasibility Report for the Norwood Park house … Continue reading →

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Dramatic Norwood News!!!!

Posted on June 28, 2011 by norwood

Monday evening, June 27, members of the City of Austin Historic Landmark Commission received their first briefing by the consultants (CasaBella Architects) hired to complete the Norwood feasibility study.

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