History
Chateau Bellevue, 708 San Antonio Street, has been the headquarters of the Austin Woman's Club since 1929.

The mansion was built by Harvey and Catherine North in 1874. The Norths were newcomers to Austin when construction began. It didn't take long for Austin society to realize that the Norths were rich and cosmopolitan.

Before coming to Austin, Harvey North was a merchant in New Orleans. He took his family on long visits to Europe, giving credence to the idea that Bellevue's castle imagery evoked European castles.

By 1876, North's fortunes in Austin real estate began to falter. Just two years after building "Bellevue Place," it was up for sale. Catherine North finally sold the mansion to August Gaines in 1881, and for only half the amount it cost the North's to build.

In 1892, Major Ira Evans bought Bellevue Place and turned the home into a castle, with the help of noted Texas architect Alfred Giles.

Starting with the North's wooden porch (replaced by limestone in the 1920s) Giles extended the home toward the west with a series of graceful rusticated limestone arches. He fortified the rooftops with crenellations and added a side entrance of exquisitely carved limestone.

Features and Amenities

• Stately stone porches with lovely carved ornamentation
• Delicate hand-carved cherry wood grills and paneled Texas pine wainscoting
• Lovely drawing rooms, furnished with antique Louis XV and Louis XVI period furniture and Persian rugs
• Massive hand-carved curly pine doors
• Ornate hand-cut and stained glass windows
• Original light fixtures and crystal chandeliers
• Charming fire places of marble, carved wood, and European tiles.

Tours
Group tours are welcome. Please contact the Club Manager.