Before it was the go-to spot for epic events, Barr Mansion was home to William Braxton Barr, whose grandfather founded Sprinkle, the township Barr Mansion sits in today. The grounds were used to cultivate cotton and the mansion housed William and his family. In the span of his life, William Braxton Barr built the town of Sprinkle from a single farm into a town of several hundred.
The mansion remained a home for the Barr family until 1981 when it was purchased by Melanie McAfee. She began holding events there, doing all the cooking for guests herself. As citizens of Austin began to discover this hidden gem, an event staff was hired and the space slowly developed into the majestic three buildings and gourmet kitchen Austinites party at today.
Our mansion has stood strong for over 100 years, a true piece of Texas history. The 18th century ballroom was shipped piece by piece from New York, because once we saw it we knew those huge glass windows would vibe perfectly with the landscape. Some of the barn timbers were trees when Christopher Columbus arrived in America. We’re fiercely proud of our roots, and of what we’ve become.