A New Hotel Continues the Legacy of South Austin’s Green Pastures

A visit to Mattie’s at Green Pastures is like stepping back in time. Beneath its canopy of live oaks, where peacocks peek down from the branches and thoughts of city life quickly fade, Austinites have been making memories for generations. The restaurant, set in a 1890s Victorian home with a gabled portico, stained glass, and wraparound porch, has been carefully preserved as a city landmark. Now, a new hotel designed by Clayton Korte and managed by La Corsha Hospitality Group extends that legacy, offering overnight accommodations on the beloved estate for the first time and ensuring that weddings, reunions, and celebrations can continue on-site.

Built on the property’s southeast corner, the three-story, 63-room inn was designed to preserve the mature live oaks that have defined the grounds for more than a century. “Mattie’s was always envisioned as the more feminine part of the property — the grande dame,” says Clayton Korte principal Paul Clayton.

The inn serves as her counterpart. Its charcoal color recedes behind the trees. Inside, the materials palette is deliberately elemental with wood, stone, and glass that will patina over time. The team also drew from Victorian vernacular, reinterpreting the large shutters once used to cool homes before air conditioning as an architectural motif that modulates light and air.

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The Inn at Green Pastures’ private pool. (Photo by Casey Dunn)

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Guests can unwind at Henry’s bar, a cozy space named after John Henry Faulk. (Photo by Casey Dunn)

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Hotel room at The Inn at Green Pastures. (Photo by Casey Dunn)

Preserving history

Henry’s bar, named after famed figure John Henry Faulk, carries a moodier tone: painted in hunter green with walnut banquettes, it feels like the perfect spot to relax with a cigar and a glass of whisky. Outside, a swimming pool and patio invite guests to linger, while plans are underway for a future spa and additional guest rooms.

For Clayton Korte and La Corsha, the restoration of Green Pastures has been nearly a decade in the making. The estate is now owned by a group of local investors dedicated to preserving its history. “You have to honor the past by making it work for the future — otherwise it becomes a relic,” says Jeff Trigger, chairman of the investor board and president of La Corsha. After Mattie’s reopened in 2017, the team expanded the kitchen and event pavilion, added an elevator for accessibility, and introduced Marian Hall, a 2,300-square-foot event space that continues the site’s legacy as a gathering place.

The new inn adds not only guest rooms and suites but a ballroom accommodating up to 275 guests, nearly double the previous capacity, and connects seamlessly to existing event spaces for indoor and outdoor celebrations. Each of the nine suites nods to the property’s natural surroundings with names like Live Oak, Magnolia, Peacock, and Cardinal, and each room features marble bathrooms, Sferra linens, and balconies overlooking the lawns. “It’s luxurious but never stuffy,” Trigger says. Guests can swim in the private pool, borrow bicycles to explore the neighborhood, or stop by Henry’s for coffee or cocktails beside the patio.

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The new ballroom at The Inn at Green Pastures accommodates up to 275 guests and connects seamlessly to the estate’s indoor and outdoor event spaces. (Photo by Casey Dunn)

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The kitchen at Mattie’s highlights fresh takes on Southern staples, prepared with locally sourced ingredients. (Photo by Jessica Stephens)

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Signature cocktails from Henry’s bar. (Photo by Jessica Stephens)

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Poolside fare at the Inn at Green Pastures. (Photo by Jessica Stephens)

Evolving estate

The property’s layered history still anchors every new gesture. Originally built in 1895, the house became home to lawyer Henry Faulk in 1916, then Austin’s first racially integrated restaurant in 1946 under his daughter Mary Faulk Koock and her husband Chester. Their progressive spirit, immortalized in The Texas Cookbook, co-written with James Beard, continues to shape the site’s inclusive ethos. Clayton Korte’s design extends that spirit through contrast and continuity.

“From deep greens and browns to crisp pinstripes and floral wallcoverings, everything is refined but grounded in the site’s heritage,” says Clayton. Even the tiny caretaker’s cottage, once a dilapidated duplex, was restored and relocated near the entrance to serve as a bridal suite and green room.

Looking ahead, a spa and more rooms will bring up the total count. Yet even as the estate evolves, its mission remains the same: to offer an escape where Austin’s past and present coexist beneath the live oaks. “We want every visit — whether it’s dinner, a wedding, or a weekend stay — to feel personal, elevated, and rooted in the beauty of this place,” says Trigger.

Can’t wait to check it out? Henry’s is now open from 4-11 p.m. Room reservations begin on Dec. 12, which is also when Henry’s will expand to include breakfast and all-day snacks. Learn more at www.theinnatgreenpastures.com.

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