The William Sidney Porter House
historic place
The William Sidney Porter House in Austin, Travis County, is a historic place. This cottage, built in 1886, features a simplified Eastlake architectural style. Author William Sidney Porter, widely known as O. Henry, lived here from 1893 to 1895. He resided with his wife, Athol, and their daughter, Margaret. During his time in Austin, Porter worked as a pharmacist, musician, draftsman, and bank teller. In 1934, the house faced demolition but was saved when it was moved from its original site on East 4th Street to its current location at 409 East 5th Street in Brush Square Park. Women's groups helped restore the house, and it opened as a museum that same year, displaying some of the Porter family's furniture and personal belongings. The William Sidney Porter House was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 18, 1973. A historical marker for the site was erected in 1974. In 1999, it became the first National Literary Landmark in Texas. Today, it is known as the O. Henry Museum. This site preserves the residence of a significant American author who set many of his stories in Texas.