Lady Bird Johnson's West Lake House: The Legacy Conveys

She left us more than two years ago, July 11, 2007, but still, I was caught off guard when I saw 2505 Camino Alto, the late, great Lady Bird Johnson's house, is now on the market. Built in 1965 (Lady Bird bought the house in the mid-1980s), the 4943 sq. ft. home features three bedrooms, three baths, two powder rooms, two living areas and two dining areas. It all sits on 1.23 acres and can be yours for only $1,795,000! Most people think of the LBJ Ranch near Stonewall, Texas as Lady Bird's home, but her West Lake house was also a sanctuary from which she could enjoy views of the University of Texas as well as the Texas State Capitol. During her later years, she stayed in town quite a bit to be closer to her grandchildren and her doctors.

Lest you think that all traces of the family's legacy has been stripped for the sale, no, no, Nanette. The front doors were originally carved for Luci Baines Johnson's house by well-known wood master Lynn Ford sometime before his death in 1978. The madrone tree out front that Mrs. Johnson loved so dearly is no longer, however, as its health and that of Lady Bird's declined simultaneously, and the tree died shortly after its mistress. Johnson-era floral wallpaper remains in the master bath, but the hand-painted kitchen tiles by Maline McCalla do not convey. Take the virtual tour here.