The Neill-Cochran House was built in 1855 for Washington L. Hill who commissioned Abner Cook, Master builder, to design and build it. The young wife of Washington L. Hill became afraid to live there alone as her husband was often away surveying. There was an Indian Trail to the West of the property and when the house was under construction, Indians were visible to her. It is said that the Spanish also used the trail. Therefore the first use of the house was in 1856 when it became the original Texas Institute for the Blind. In 1958 the house was sold to the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Texas. The Colonial Dames maintain the building as a furnished House Museum and as an adaptive use facility for students, study groups, seminars, weddings and functions of the Society.
