Step Into a Cozy 1950s Austin Modern by Midcentury Maverick A.D. Stenger

One of those larger-than-life characters that are a specialty of Texas, Arthur Dallas Stenger — known as “A.D.” to friends and foes alike — has often been referred to as “Austin’s Eichler,” largely due to the fact that several neighborhoods around South Austin are essentially colonies of Stenger-built homes, easily identifiable as such by trademark features such as site-quarried stone façades that act as a leitmotif.

That’s about as far as the comparison stretches; unlike the prolific California tract home developer, who employed a stable of architects and builders, Stenger was more of a one-man band, acting as developer, architect, and contractor/builder on the approximately 100 single-family residences he produced over his career, one at a time. However, just like Eichler homes, Stenger-designed houses began to attract renewed attention and appreciation with the great midcentury modern revival of the past couple of decades and have become highly sought-after trophy properties.

Now up for grabs in the Barton Hills neighborhood is a house built by the renowned architect in 1955. Measuring in at a modest 1,240 square feet, the two-bedroom, one-bath bungalow has seen a few updates, but still retains all the typical hallmarks of Stenger’s original design. These include an open floor plan, vaulted ceilings with exposed rafters, clerestory windows, a stacked-stone fireplace, and numerous built-ins. More recent elements include cork flooring and modern appliances in the robin’s-egg-blue hued kitchen.

The list of exterior features is brief, consisting of a front patio, fenced front yard, and an elevated rear deck with a tall oak tree growing through it. But with a 6,838-square-foot lot, there is ample room to add gardening beds, perhaps even a pool, though the latter is hardly necessary, given that the famous Barton Springs Pool in Zilker Park is just a five-minute drive away.

Last sold in 2018 for $525,000, the property is currently on the market with an asking price of $999,000. Compass agent Nanette Labastida holds the listing.