The A.J. Nelson-Crier House is a city-block ofproperty in downtown Round Rock. The historic three-story mansion is listed at $2.5 million.[/caption]
The A.J. Nelson-Crier House, also known as The Woodbine Mansion, sits on a city-block-sized plot of land in downtown Round Rock surrounded by elm, pecan and magnolia trees.
The home, at 405 E. Main St., was completed in 1900 by the Nelsons, a well-known Round Rock family. In spring 2015, it went on sale for $2.5 million, said Realtor Susan deGraffenried of Kuper Sotheby’s International Realty.
The three-story mansion has 18 rooms, eight of which are bedrooms, with 4 1/2 bathrooms. There is also a barn and a guest house on the property. The house includes a dining room, dining porch, three parlors, a sunroom, a library and a sleeping porch, which was common in Texas before air conditioning, deGraffenried said.
According to the Williamson County Historical Commission, the Nelson family consisted of Swedish immigrants who settled in Williamson County in 1854.
“The Swedish immigrants were the core settlers in Round Rock and had such an impact,” said Mickie Ross, executive director of the Williamson County Museum.
Andrew J. Nelson began extensive farming ventures and was influential in the Round Rock community. After he died in 1895, his family began work to build the house with the Page brothers, who also built the Williamson County Courthouse. It was completed five years later in 1900, and it has been continuously used as a private residence ever since, Ross said.
After Nelson's wife died in 1923, her sons Thomas, Edward and Carl continued to live in the house while they worked in banking, agriculture and other commercial enterprises. According to the WCHC, together they began the first commercial cheese factory in Texas.
It was during their time in the house that they renovated the original Victorian facade to a Neo-Classical one, deGraffenried said.
The mansion looked very different than the structure does currently. The building was originally built in a Victorian style, with a steep roof and many gables and chimneys, according the the Williamson County Historical Commission. A three-story circular tower topped by a conical roof was located on the northeast corner of the building.
The family brought in Dallas architect Wilson McClure to renovate the facade in 1931, according to the WCHC.
During the 1930s, deGraffenried said, Victorian houses were out of style and remodeling was common across Texas.
“It fell out of fashion. Neo-Classic was the new trendy thing to do,” she said. “It’s like someone remodeling their ranch to give it a more midcentury modern look.”
The Nelsons continued to live in the home until the 1960s, when it was purchased by Eugene N. Goodrich and his wife, Jean Lange Crier, who was an artist and antique collector. Under her direction, the house underwent an eight-year remodel. Four additional bedrooms were added to the third floor, and the grounds were completely refurbished, deGraffenrie said.
Jean’s granddaughters, Dee Andra Crier and Nina Helburn, grew up playing at the the mansion during family visits. They both spent a lot of time outside, they said.
“Our Easter egg hunts were a big deal,” Helburn said. “We could hide eggs under the big trees and all the little statues around. It was pretty awesome, actually.”
They played croquet every time they visited, Helburn said.
“It was so much fun. I grew up doing that, got married, had my kids out here doing all that. They loved it, too,” she said.
After Jean died in early 2015, the family prepared the house to sell.
deGraffenried said she has not seen any families express interest in buying the home; interest mostly comes from people looking to use the house as a venue, bed and breakfast or office space.
When it is sold, the house may not be used as a private family home for the first time in its history, she said.
405 E. Main St., Round Rock
Private residence since 1900
Eight bedrooms, 4 1/2 baths
