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The private drive winds through the grounds, crosses an arched stone bridge and circles majestic liveoaks, leading to the oldest remaining residence on Waller Creek. A visitor to lnshallah, the historic Lucksinger­Keasbey House in Hyde Park, journeys back in time to a bit of Austin's resplen­dent past. But lnshallah, now owned by Jim and Jare Smith, is also a vibrant part of Austin's present vision.

The reputation of the site predates Austin's recorded history. Legend has it that the huge liveoak in the front yard was twisted as a sapling by Comman­ches to signal the location of the good springs. The hordes of arrowheads and other Indian artifacts found by later residents indicate it was 1deed a favored camping ground for Austin's first inhabitants.

The earliest recorded trans. :Hof the tract occurred in 1841, when the land on which lnshallah stands was granted by Sam Houston, president of the Republic of Texas, to Angeline D. Smith, widow of James W. Smith.

Upon this spot in 1871, one Joseph Lucksinger built a two-room, stone cabin. He also established one of the first slaughterhouses in Austin and fur­nished meat to most of Travis County and to all the state institutions. As Lucksinger prospered, the cabin was enlarged and the exterior was changed to limestone.

In 1907, Dr. Lindley M. Keasbey, professor of political science at the University of Texas, bought the proper­ty and existing structure. His daughter, Dr. Louisa Keasbey, described the ex­isting. structure as a "rectangular, white stone farmhouse ... The inten­tion was to enlarge the farmhouse by adding a wing at each end. But somehow, with the impetus of building, the wings sort of swallowed the center."

The home acquired its unusual Ara­

bian or Moorish architectural features under the direction of Mrs. Keasbey and her builder, L.M. Ainsworth. Dr. Louisa Keasbey remembered the building process: " Mother would come out clasping in her arms one of the volumes of her beautiful 12-volume edi­tion of the Arabian Nights, and she and the builder would pore over the illustra­tions in this and make their plans."

Typically Austin, the exterior limestone walls are at least 18 inches

MAY 1981

Au5-,,N

by Susan M. Ridgway

thick. Untypical are the Moorish arch­ed windows and ubiquitous columns, custom poured on the site. Louisa Keasbey recalled, "Every window, doorway or entrance in the house was surmounted by arches, supported upon doric columns in the round, all made out of concrete. The builder laid down a trough in what was later to be the patio, and here the concrete was poured and the columns constructed."

Mrs. Keasbey named her creation lnshallah, which has been variously translated as "God willing " or "You are welcome through the grace of Allah." The completed house was featured in the 1910 edition of the Cac­tus, The University of Texas yearbook. According to a 1963 article in the American-Statesman, "the Keasbys (sic] gave parties for such luminaries as the great Pavlova-glittering highlights of the city's social life at that time."

In addition to entertaining and run­ning UT's fledgling school of political science, Dr. Keasbey was interested in introducing scientific methods into livestock breeding. His "farming " was recorded by Alvin Johnson in his biography, Pioneer's Progress.

Dr. Louisa Keasbey recalled en­counters between her father and Mr.

Johnson: "Father would sit in his library, 'farming'-studying the Jersey Bulletin working out desirable 'bloodlines' for his stock-while Mother selected names for registering

the cattle, calling them after the gorgeous hybrid roses she imported for her rose garden ... The registered dogs were named after Renaissance painters. And Mr. Johnson looked on speechless-at our 'farming."'

The Keasbey family left Austin in 1917-Dr. Keasbey serving on war relief committees in New York and teaching at Columbia-but they left an imprint that was unshakeable, even by explosion. A later owner of lnshallah, Hiram Reed, installed one of the first butane furnaces in the area. The fur­nace exploded, blowing out the west wall of the living room. It also blew Mr.

Reed and an employee across the room and out the opening left by the west wall! Fortunately, neither man was seriously injured; unfortunately, the damaged house stood vacant for several years.

Purchased in the 1950's by Mr. and Mrs. Roy Seekatz, the house was put to

rights, including restoration of the original west wall, which was pulled back into place by large pulleys and lots of manpower.

Current owners of lnshallah are Mr.

and l.1rs. Jim A. Smith-a curious coin­cidence recalling the original grantee of the tract, Mrs. James W. Smith. Jim Smith is vice president of finance and treasurer of Tracor, Inc. He and his wife Jare are active in many communi­ty affairs, including Junior Forum, Austin Civic Ballet, Junior Achievement and the United Way. They enjoy using their historic home for the benefit of their community.

Many civic meetings and entertain­ment function" are held at lnshallah. The basemer,t-a feature that is unusual in �arly Austin architec­ture-provides storage for everything from "a casl, '! with an arm hanging out " for the ...;chool Halloween Car­nival, to Forum Follies stage sets.

lnshallah lends itself to grand and elegant entertaining. A walk leads through a lovely courtyard to a massive aifront door, opening onto a 75-foot-long _, hallway. "Before we refinished the floors, the kids skateboarded down it, " Jare remembers.

Still extant in the east end of the house are the original edge-grain pine floors, laid in an overall design that begins in the middle of a room and spreads through interlocking boards to the walls .. Story has it that the furnace explosion destroyed most of the floors, which were replaced by hardwood floors, covered by wall-to-wall carpeting. The Smiths have removed the carpeting, exposing the beautiful wood, which makes a f i t t ing background for their oriental-style rugs.

The huge living room has a beamed ceiling that soars to 21 feet, repeated in the library. Both rooms have fireplaces; the house has a total of six.

Waller Creek, which has flowed through so much of Austin's history, winds through the grounds of ln­shallah. The original farm has been reduced through the years as tracts on the edges have been sold off. The estate now contains about four acres. Behind the house, overlooked by ter- Arace and barbecue pit, Waller Creek •forms a pond-a haven for a pet duck and wild waterfowl. The spacious grounds also bear an orchard and vegetable garden.

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A A•ard pond on Waller Creek and a 75-foot-long hallway are two unique features of /n�h.

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Q Jim and Jare Smith mir· � increasing interest in histc � tion. As they put it, they Northwest Austin and • migrating-three mO\, 11 gressively older neighbc.. ,.,...,,,.,.,..._, houses. Jim credits their de\�».��� terest in historic preservation 11., : E

and Sue McBee, prime movers in Austin preservation. Frank McBee first showed him lnshallah, long before the Smiths considered buying it.

Later, the Smiths' attention was drawn to lnshallah by a small classified ad offering it for sale. Jim went for a look, realized he'd seen it before, and his interest was piqued.

Jare was harder to convince. She says, "After I first saw it, I went home and told a neighbor, 'I was in the most gosh, awful house, so huge and osten­tatious."'

But she came around, and com­ments, "Now, to us it's not a mansion; it's just our home." But it's a home whose history and style are unique. And the Smiths have had some in­teresting experiences along the way. They've redone the kitchen and family roorr , all contained in a newer wing that had been added at the rear, and done some careful repointing of the limes one, not wanting to alter its historic appearance.

Jare notes that during the years it lay abandoned, lnshallah acquired the reputation of being haunted. When they first moved in, a babysitter com­mented on a back door which inex­plicably persisted in opening and slam­ming. Jare herself and two friends once heard a squeaky door in another part of the house that kept opening and closing by itself. She says, · "We haven't heard anything since. I was really in hopes we had a ghost.''

Perhaps it was just Cornelia Keasbey, creator of lnshallah, inspec­ting the new tenants, and finding them satisfactory.

Austin has changed since the first Mr. Jim Smith was granted the tract, which was then outside the city limits. It has grown, replaced some of its historic structures, and then realized anew the value of its heritage - iron­ically, at the same time that it's moved into the modern high-technology world. Jim Smith, Tracor vice president, wife Jare, and their home lnshallah, repre­sent this spirit of the old and the new.

Its grounds now surrounded by more modest houses and large apartment buildings, lnshallah endures: a part of Austin's past, contributing to its pre­sent. O

- Susan Ridgway is a frequent con­tributor to AUSTIN Magazine.

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