Littlefield Building, Austin

The Littlefield Building in Austin is a historical and architectural landmark. This nine-story building, which was completed in 1912, holds the distinction of being Austin's first office building and was the tallest commercial building in the city for nearly twenty years, reaching a height of 140 feet.

The building is named after George Washington Littlefield, a prominent Texan cattle baron and banker. Littlefield initially established his American National Bank in 1890 at the nearby Driskill Hotel before constructing the Littlefield Building twenty years later. The building's design follows the Beaux Arts style, which gracefully combines 20th-century steel construction with classical ornamentation.

The building's interior and exterior reflect its rich history. While the interior has lost some of its historic elements, it once boasted bronze doors from Tiffany & Co. and a bank lobby adorned with large oil paintings depicting ranch life, the source of Littlefield's wealth. Furthermore, an intricately carved mahogany women's banking center, a pioneering feature in the city at the time, was part of the interior design.

The exterior of the Littlefield Building is a testament to the Beaux Arts style, particularly evident in its classical elements such as the Corinthian columns made of brick that span five stories. These decorative features contrast with the modern construction methods used, similar to those employed in the nearby 515 Congress building. The design choices of the Littlefield Building reflect an architectural era where the expression of modern structural techniques was gaining prominence, aligning with the emerging modernism style in Europe.