Austin, Travis County
The Sparks house was built in 1927 for former state treasurer Sam Sparks and his wife, Bertha May “Polly” Jones Mulkey Sparks. Austin-based firm Page Brothers, architects of many homes, schools and the 1930 Travis county courthouse, designed this house in Spanish eclectic style. It was built in one of Austin’s oldest neighborhoods, Judges Hill, so named for the concentration of judges in the nineteenth century who resided in the area. The house was built of brick, limestone, cast concrete and tile. Features of note include an elaborate bas-relief around the front windows, multiple arched doorways, a decorative fan above the north entry, stone sills, and weigl ironwork. RECORDED TEXAS HISTORIC LANDMARK – 2016