Completed in 1895 by local minister E.W. Herndon, the house sat on 23 acres (93,000 m2) bordering a wooded area to the south. It was home to a number of families over the years. The Green Pastures restaurant opened in the building in 1946, serving a range of comfort food, and was notable for serving to customers of all races, 18 years before other establishments in Austin were desegregated by law.
Green Pastures Restaurant was established by Mary Faulk Koock and husband Chester Koock. Mary wrote historical collection of recipes 'The Texas Cookbook' with the help of the author James Beard.
The grounds have been noted for decades for its beautiful peafowl.