Built 1893 · City of Austin Historic Landmark since 2000

The Berner-Clark-Mercado House

Maison Rêve occupies the Berner-Clark-Mercado House at 1807 East Cesar Chavez Street. The house was built in 1893 and has been a City of Austin Historic Landmark since 2000. It is a rare survivor. Most homes on this corridor were modest single-story cottages built for tradespeople, laborers and small merchants. This two-story Victorian residence was something different: a clear statement of prosperity and ambition on Austin's growing east side.

Three families gave the house its name. Each represents a different era in the life of the house and of the neighborhood around it.

Architecture

A scale rarely seen on the street.

The house is a two-story, Italianate-influenced Victorian residence built on a modified L-plan. Its full wraparound porch on the north and west elevations and its strong vertical lines give it a scale rarely seen on the street.

Much of its original millwork survives, and it remains in remarkable condition:

Turned porch columns and balusters on both stories of the wraparound porch
Jigsawn eave and post brackets, typical of the Italianate pattern books of the 1870s–1890s
Shingled gable ends with decorative fish-scale and straight-cut wood shingles
A one-story bay window on the east façade
Tall 4/4 double-hung wood sash windows that keep the original rhythm on every elevation
Original horizontal wood drop siding

Inside, the original central-hall plan, long-leaf pine floors, beadboard ceilings and historic door casings all survive. A small rear addition from around 1940, built for indoor plumbing and a larger kitchen, also remains intact.

The Families

Three names, three eras.

The Berners

1893 – c. 1912

George H. Berner Sr., a prominent Austin cigar merchant, was the original owner and builder. Austin City Directories record his household at 1807 East First Street (now East Cesar Chavez) from 1893. His son, George H. Berner Jr., was a photographer associated with the Marks photographic gallery. He lived at the house until his death in 1903. The family stayed until about 1912. The property then passed by deed to J.D. Dillingham and later to James F. Clark.

The Clarks

1915 – mid-century

James F. Clark and his wife Charlotte bought the house in 1915 and lived there through at least 1950. Clark worked as a bookkeeper and later an auditor at the General Land Office of Texas. During these decades, many Victorian houses in East Austin were subdivided, stripped of ornament or demolished. The Clarks' long stewardship kept this house's plan, massing and architectural fabric largely intact.

The Mercados

1996 – 2000s

Alberto and Norma Mercado bought the house from the Austin Housing and Finance Corporation in 1996. By then it suffered from years of deferred maintenance and mid-century alterations. Their restoration produced a remarkable discovery. When they removed wooden boxes built around the front porch columns in the 1970s, they found the original 1893 turned columns intact underneath. The Mercados also installed a standing-seam metal roof and restored the exterior siding and trim in period colors. They also repaired the foundation and rehabilitated the interior. They paid for much of this work by selling other properties they owned.

The Neighborhood

The semi-rural edge of the city.

When the Berners built here, East First Street was growing quickly. The International–Great Northern Railroad depot had recently been completed. City infrastructure was also expanding east in the late 1880s and early 1890s. Together they drew new investment from Austin's merchant and professional class. The house began on the semi-rural edge of the city. Over the following century, the corridor grew into a dense mix of homes and businesses. In the late twentieth century, East Cesar Chavez became a vibrant center of Austin's Mexican-American community. The Mercado family's stewardship of the house reflects that chapter of the neighborhood's story.

Landmark Designation

Effective November 20, 2000.

The Heritage Society of Austin nominated the Mercados' restoration for its Annual Preservation Award in 1999. In 2000 the Historic Landmark Commission recommended landmark status. The City Council approved it unanimously, effective November 20, 2000 (Ordinance No. 001109-51, Case No. C14H-00-0009). The designation recognizes the house's architectural character and its place in East Austin's built environment. It also recognizes its value to the neighborhood's cultural heritage and the community's attachment to it. The designation means any changes to the exterior are reviewed by the City's Historic Preservation Office.

Restoration · 2025–2026

Rehabilitated as Maison Rêve.

After a period as a youth hostel, followed by vacancy and vandalism, the house has been rehabilitated as Maison Rêve. The work follows the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and was approved by the City of Austin Historic Preservation Office. It included:

Repair of the original porch decking, and repair or in-kind replacement of deteriorated columns, balusters and railings to match the historic profiles
Repair of the original wood drop siding, matching it in kind where sections had deteriorated
Restoration of all historic wood sash windows to working condition
Sealing and repainting the full exterior
An accessible ramp at the rear, designed so the historic street-facing elevation is unchanged

Visit

One of East Austin's most remarkable Victorian homes

Maison Rêve welcomes heritage travelers, overnight guests and event visitors to experience one of East Austin's most remarkable Victorian homes. You can see the 1893 porch columns that were hidden for decades, and walk the original central hall. Explore the street that has shaped Austin for more than 130 years.

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