One of Austin's most important historic houses, the Neill-Cochran House was built in 1855 by the Master Builder Abner Cook, who also designed the Texas Governor's Mansion, both in the Greek Revival style. The House served as the first Asylum for the Blind in Texas and was a hospital, under the command of General George Armstrong Custer, for the Union Army during Reconstruction. It was not owner-occupied until 1876 when Colonel Andew Neill purchased it for his family. Judge Thomas Cochran bought the House from Col. Neill's widow in 1895, and it remained in the Cochran family until 1958, when it was sold to the NSCDA, who preserved it and opened it to the public in 1962.

Programs available at the House are educational tours for 4th-grade Texas History students and other study groups; a lecture series in the Fall of 2006 entitled "Modern Times: 1855," that will include talks about the Texas frontier, literature, costume, music, and food from the middle of the 19th century.

The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America is a patriotic organization dedicated to education and historical preservation. The NSCDA is represented in 44 states and owns or maintains approximately 60 properties across the United States. The NSCDA has been in Texas since 1898.