Manning-Udden-Bailey House est. 1915

The ca. 1915 Manning-Udden-Bailey House is a excellent example of a two-story Prairie School-styled stucco house with a hipped roof, projecting front porch with stucco square columns and an Alamo- styled parapet, integral front patio, triple windows and ribbon windows. The Prairie School of design originated in Chicago around the turn of the 20th century by architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright. The Manning-Udden-Bailey House is an excellent example of one of the few original Prairie School residences Austin..

Mrs. Ada Read Penn

The house was built in 1915 by Mrs. Ada Read Penn (1867-1955), the widow of Robert Penn, a district judge. Mrs. Penn, who had studied mechanical drawing in college, began to subdivide her land and design houses, which she marketed to professors at the University of Texas.

William and Mabel Manning

The second owners were UT Professor William Ray Manning and his wife Mabel. Professor William Ray Manning became the diplomatic correspondence of the United States Inter-american Affairs and moved to Washington. They sold the house a only a few years later in 1919. 

Johan and johanna Udden

In 1919 the house was bought by the third owners Johanna Christina and her husband, Johan August Udden (1857-1932). Johan Udden was a renowned natural scientist, whose studies of fossil formations and seismic patterns in West Texas led to the discovery of the Permian Basin oil fields. This discovery continues to provide the sustaining revenue to the University of Texas and Texas A&M.