a consequence Franklin Savings provided the necessary loan. It is interesting to note that Charles Betts and Franklin Savings were located in a very grand historic Austin building – The Walter Tips Building on Congress Avenue, a City, State, and National Landmark. A special type of loan was required during the period of the restoration work and this loan was arranged by Randy Peschel who was at the City National Bank of Austin. Restoration of the Southgate–Lewis House Restoration craftsman Peter J. Fears was the craftsman in charge of the restoration work. Fears had just completed an exemplary restoration of the historic Limerick-Frazier House, only a few blocks away on 13th Street. Fears moved into the restored home with his family. The Limerick-Frazier House, located at 810 East 13th Street, was constructed in 1876. When Peter Fears began the restoration, he discovered a structural feature of the house that probably helped preserve the structural integrity of the house during its extended period of deterioration, particularly with all of the damage on the roof. Fears was happy to discover a somewhat surprising fact about the carpentered framing of the Southgate–Lewis House – all of the interior walls were reinforced with long and wide diagonal boards. Interior wall diagonal shiplap When unsalvageable water-damaged wallpaper was removed, Fears discovered that the interior walls were not composed of the usual "lath and plaster," which was so common in the late 19th century Victorian buildings, but instead covered with shiplap laid diagonally, at an angle of 45 degrees relative to the frame, much as external sheathing is, making the structure quite stiff, resistant to gusts of wind (which are quite common in the region). Calcasieu lumber The interior wall diagonal shiplap boards were stamped by the lumberyard, "Calcasieu Lumber Co". Calcasieu was founded in 1883, only a few years prior to the construction of the house. Calcasieu began downtown along the Colorado river between Guadalupe and Lavaca and grew to occupy six city blocks in the 1950s. Calcasieu Lumber Company lives on to this day. The Calcasieu Lumber Co. was "named after the top-quality lumber that came from Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana" – in particular, the longleaf pine. Unexpected treasures Treasures The restoration work on the interior of the Southgate–Lewis House revealed many unexpected treasures: a beautiful elaborate staircase balustrade, beaded tongue-in-groove (tongue and groove) hardwood paneling, patterned brass hardware, wainscotting, wood floors from old-growth heartwood