Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 247: Hotel History: Driskill Hotel, Austin, Texas

Stanley Turkel | April 20, 2021

by Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: Driskill Hotel (188 rooms) The Driskill, a Romanesque-style building completed in 1886, is the oldest operating hotel in Austin, Texas, and one of the best-known hotels in Texas. The Driskill was conceived and built by Col. Jesse Driskill, a cattleman who spent his fortune constructing “the finest hotel south of St. Louis”. Flush with cash from his service to the Confederate Army to which he supplied beef throughout the Civil War. In 1884, Driscoll purchased land in downtown Austin for $7500 and announced plans for a new hotel. Today, the Driskill remains one of the premier hotels in Austin, fe...