The contents of the Library reflect Texas history as well as the history of the Mansion. A portrait of Stephen Fuller Austin, the “Father of Texas”, hangs over the mantel. Austin brought 300 families to Texas who settled near the Colorado and Brazos rivers. The capital of the new colony was named San Felipe de Austin after its founder and leader. Stephen F. Austin, the first secretary of state of the Republic of Texas, died in 1836. The Mansion was completed 20 years later.
Austin’s portrait hangs in the Library as a tribute to his significant contribution to Texas history.