AUSTIN, Texas — Over the last century, the Driskill Hotel in Downtown Austin has hosted presidents, governors, celebrities – and maybe even some ghosts.
In 1886, Col. Jesse Driskill opened what the Austin American-Statesman called “one of the finest hotels in Texas.” The wealthy cattle baron wanted a place that would rival hotels in New York, Chicago and other big cities.
“This lady has been here for so long, and she has just been an icon and a beacon for all Austinites,” Pat Howard-Wells, director of operations at the Driskill, said of the hotel.
Over the years, the Driskill has seen its share of governors, movie stars and musicians.
“Louis Armstrong came in 1931, and he actually played in this hotel before people of his color were actually allowed in this property,” Howard-Wells said.
And the iconic Driskill Bar is a world all its own, with all the stories it could tell.
“There’s different doors that lead into what now are storage rooms, but there were hallways where the ladies of the night would come up to the Gentleman Club, up into our mezzanine level,” Howard-Wells said.
President Lyndon B. Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson met at the Driskill for their first date.
“He went on a whole day of a date with her and then actually proposed to her at the very end of that same date,” Howard-Wells said. “He also watched his presidential results here in this building. And he also watched one of his Senate, senator runs, and results in this building as well.”
And then there are those ghost rumors.
“We like to think that Jesse Driskill is still keeping a watchful eye over his hotel,” Howard-Wells said. “There’s also a history of a girl who passed away here at the hotel. Her name is Samantha, and we honor her, actually, in a way, by a drink in our bar called ‘Samantha’s Ghost.'”
Today, the building in the heart of downtown is the oldest operating hotel in Austin. But without help, its history would have been cut short a long time ago.
“We’ve saved places like the Driskill and other really important landmarks downtown,” said Meghan King, outreach and policy planner for Preservation Austin.
Preservation Austin was founded in 1953 and is dedicated to helping the city’s historic places and communities survive.
“There needs to be a bit of a moment of pause to reflect and cherish and protect the things that have come to define Austin and made it this place that is so desirable and that people do want to come to,” King said.
In the late 1960s, the Driskill sat vacant and was in danger of being torn down.
“And so our organization rallied to help fundraise. They even had big sales to raise, I think, $100,000 to contribute to saving the Driskill from demolition,” King said.
So the hotel and the organization share a unique bond – one that was celebrated as Preservation Austin held its 70th anniversary party Wednesday at the place it helped save so many years ago. King said the party was set to feature champagne and the organization’s original cake recipe that the Driskill still makes.
“If you’re invested in preserving the places that Austin that matter to you, that are super special, historic, cultural spaces, we would really encourage you to become a member and join us,” King said.
