cultural history report of the area proposed

CULTURAL HISTORY REPORT OF THE AREA
PROPOSED AS EL MERCADO ZONA CULTURAL
Prepared by
The Office of Historic Preservation, San Antonio Texas
Claudia Guerra
with Nicholas Fuqua and Larsen Andrews
ABSTRACT
Using primary documents such as newspaper archives, maps, and photographs, along
with previous research and an architectural inventory of landmark buildings, this
report offers an interpretation of the cultural history of the area..
INTRODUCTION
When one walks through the proposed El Mercado Zona Cultural, one is traversing not only space, but time
and cultures as well. While all around is a new American city, it is undeniably, also, an old Mexican one. One
imbued with a European sensibility that stretches back to its Spanish Colonial roots. The proposed cultural
zone is where the city of San Antonio was born. Like all cities, San Antonio has expanded and changed, but
this area has always remained the heart of the city.
This area has been known many names throughout time. Depending on who named it, when they named it,
which sector they were referring to and why, it has been known as Presidio San Antonio de Béxar, Villa de San
Antonio de Béxar, Plaza de Armas y Plaza de Islas, Barrio Norte y Barrio Sur, Wards One and Two, Produce Row,
Laredito, the Mexican Quarter, El Mercado, Military Plaza, Main Plaza and the Near Westside are all monikers
associated with the area.
Spanish Texas (1690-1821), Mexican Texas (1821-1836), Republic of Texas (1836-1845) and Statehood in the
U.S. as well as the Civil War and Reconstruction period, would all have an effect on the identity, culture and
built environment of the area. The aim of this cultural history report is to establish the events, circumstances
and cultures which developed the authentic sense of place that currently exists in the heart of San Antonio.
Picture For Placement
Only
YANAGUAGA: BEFORE THE SPANISH ARRIVAL
The first people to utilize the area we now call San Antonio were various groups of various people who called
themselves Payaya, Pamaya, Sijame, Xarame and and Mesquite among others. The Payaya, in particular,
called this home. Their name for the area, Yanaguana, roughly translates to place of refreshing water. For the
Payaya, the water was not only a necessary element for physical health, it also provided spiritual nourishment.
The Payaya and other Coahuilatecan groups who understood the sacredness of the waters had gathered here
since soon after the Ice Age, according to archaeological records.
In addition to the proximity to water, they were attracted here because of the abundance of pecans which
were an important source of food. Buffalo herds, fish and turkey also provided sustenance. Several Spanish
explorers report, in their diaries, of having encountered large gatherings of a band of friendly and gentle
people who called themselves Payaya. The diaries state that the area was filled with “Mulberry trees, willows,
live oaks and other oaks.” Large herds of buffalo were also reported throughout the area. The Spanish would
rename the area San Antonio de Padua, which we have come to know as the city of San Antonio. The bountiful
springs and river which flow through the area along with the existence of the Payaya were powerful
enticements to the Spanish Missionaries. Where else could they find so many souls to “save” and so much
water to serve agricultural and physical needs?
Figure 1. Plano del Presidio de San Antonio de Bexar 1722 (Texas A & M University)
SPANISH BEGINNINGS
No one loved the passing parade more than Spanish urban planners.
―Char Miller, Deep in the Heart of San Antonio
The area in the proposed cultural arts zone can trace its built environment beginnings to 1722 when the
Marqués de Aguayo relocated Presidio San Antonio de Béxar from south of San Pedro Springs to the area that
would become known as Plaza de Armas. The purpose for the presidio was to provide protection of the Texas
missions, including Mission San Antonio de Valero and establish a Spanish presence in the area.
Like most cities first settled by Spanish soldiers, San Antonio’s first plaza was designed to follow a typical
military grid pattern with a parade ground for soldiers surrounded by the presidio. The Plaza de Armas,
Military Plaza, established San Antonio’s first public place and provided housing for soldiers, priests and
approximately 30 civilian and soldiers’ families in and around the presidio.
On March 9, 1731, fifty-six colonists from the Canary Islands arrived and organized the Villa de San Fernando
de Béxar, situated east of the presidio and west of the river. Under the direction of the Spanish Crown, the
1583 compilation of Las Leyes de los Reynos de Indias, the Law of the Indies, detailed specific design guidelines
for town planning. Known as El Plano de la Población, these urban planning documents regulated the built
environment and ensured that a thriving colonial settlement revolved around a central location. For the
settlement of San Fernando de Béxar, like all Spanish Colonial settlements, that central location was La
Yglesia, the church.
The site for the church of San Fernando was chosen in 1731 by Presidio of San Antonio captain, Juan
Antonio Pérez de Almazán. By 1738, the cornerstone for the church of San Fernando had been laid and a
second public place, Plaza de las Islas, was created. With the apse of San Fernando facing Plaza de Armas and
its front doors facing Plaza de las Islas, the church became the central location around which residents, prayed,
worked and recreated.
Figure 2: 1877 Sanborn Map
ENTERING ITS HEYDAY
More than half a century later, the two plazas continued to thrive as the main public places of the built
environment. As early as 1850, a building known locally as the Bat Cave because a large number of bats
roosted in its eaves functioned as city hall, courthouse and jail. Located at the northwest corner of Military
Plaza (labeled as “Jail” and “City Offices in Figure 2), the building was one of the first to be built after the
end of the Mexican war in 1848. By the 1870s, San Antonio’s two plazas had developed into the city’s
economic center containing a wide range of businesses that catered to resident’s needs. In 1867, a renovation
and expansion of the Church of San Fernando had begun and by 1874 the church had been designated a
cathedral. In 1872, the two-story Frost and Bro. building was erected in Main Plaza and joined the San
Fernando and the French Building as the three largest structures on the plaza.
Advertisements in the San Antonio Express from 1877 through the late 1880s show businesses such as hotels,
liveries, furniture makers, boot and shoe makers, grocers, feed stores, dentists, ice manufacturers, ice cream
and confectionary proprietors, even a mask and masquerade costumer, offered consumers goods that were
both practical and amusing.
Advertisements and listings in city directories from 1883-1887 show that the area was also a social and
cultural center attracting tourists and locals alike to participate in robust merriment ranging from cantinas and
saloons to public dances and bullfights. A typical visitor to the area might spend a day enjoying the spectacle
of a traveling circus performing in the plaza, catch a theatrical performance at the Fashion Theater, and enjoy
meals at any number of restaurants, including open air cafes, before retiring to their rented room at Hord’s or
Central hotels. See Tables 1 and 2.
The Alamo City Guide of 1882 described Military Plaza as a bustling marketplace:
The Plaza is a large open square surrounded by business houses and crossed by
the street railway. On the east side of the Plaza, after leaving room for the passage
of vehicle between the curbstone and the central space, are long lines of tables for
the sale of vegetables, etc. and here one can purchase fresh vegetables during the
entire year. The butter, poultry and eggs department is located on the north of the
vegetable stands, while south of them are the Mexican lunch tables, where one can
get a genuine Mexican breakfast with as good hot coffee as can be found in the
city. The west side of the central portion of the Plaza to the rear of the tables is
reserved for the wood, cotton, wool, hay, grain, and produce wagons . . . . The
wagons are placed in perfect order and lines so as to preserve the adjacent street
lines. . . . (p.46)
The “Historical Business Review” section of Morrison & Fourmy’s General Directory of the City of San Antonio,
throughout the latter half of the nineteenth century reveals that business pioneers such as pharmacists F.
Kalteyer & Son (507-509 W. Commerce), architect Alfred Giles (12 Soledad) and dry goods merchants
Miguel and Antonio Castanola (241-247 Acequia) were operating successful businesses in the area.
Sanborn Insurance Maps further clarify how place was utilized. Among buildings demarcated as grain
warehouses, tanneries, feed stores, black smiths, barbers, bootmakers and tailors, several adobe homes
clearly indicate the area remained a residential area for many of the city’s original settlers, though they were
slowly being replaced by one or two story structures housing commercial entities. By 1887, tenements and
boarding houses also provided housing throughout the area. St. Joseph’s Orphan Asylum located at
Commerce and Camaron housed roughly 100 young children until a tragic fire in 1912 destroyed the
structure and forced the orphanage to move to its current location on Mission Road.
The maps also show industry such as the San Antonio Gas Company and the Alamo Ice Company existed in
the area. But by far, the greatest number of businesses catered to nourishing consumers with food and
beverage. Fruit and vegetable vendors, restaurants and saloons existed in higher amounts than any other
business type. Photographs of the period show wagons laden with produce, vendors with tables displaying
chiles, potatoes and squash, candy sellers with carts, and perhaps most ubiquitous of all—the open air chili
stands and their legendary proprietors, the Chili Queens.
Author Stephen Crane immortalized the chili stands in his writing when he reported that
"upon one of the plazas, Mexican vendors with open-air stands sell food that tastes exactly
like pounded fire-brick from Hades -- chili con carne, tamales, enchiladas, chili verde,
frijoles. . . . In the soft atmosphere of the southern night, the cheap glass bottles upon the
stands shine like crystal and lamps glow with a tender radiance. A hum of conversation
ascends from the strolling visitors who are at their social shrine."
By the end of the 1890s, it is clear that major changes in the area had taken place. The 1892 Sanborn
Maps show many buildings that once housed thriving businesses are now vacant. Daniel Arreola and
other scholars agree that the dramatic change occurred when the Bat Cave was demolished and
replaced by the new City Hall which was completed in 1892. What was once an open, informal
gathering place as envisioned by Spanish urban planners, was now dominated and closed off by the
imposing and stylish city hall, designed in the French Second Empire tradition and built of Texas
limestone and granite (Arreola).
In 1896, with the completion of the Romanesque red sandstone and granite court house on the
southern corner of Main Plaza, the city’s second open social space would also be permanently
disrupted. According to Arreola, the changes effectively transformed the area from Hispanic,
Mexican and Tejano roots to a “Euro-Texian” built environment. Gone were the adobe dwellings
and low rise wooden structures, replaced by large masonry buildings. The built environment is always
a reflection of culture. The changes to the built environment of San Antonio’s two oldest plazas were
also evidenced by the cultural changes in surnames. Spanish oriented names such as Ruiz, Leal and
Navarro were disappearing while names such as Kampmann, Dullnig and Beckman were increasing.
By 1900 the chili stands would move further west into the neighborhood known as Laredito, and
with them the adobe dwellings cultural lifestyle of the Tejanos. Effectively, downtown San Antonio
was cut into two separate cultural realms—the Mexican Quarter west of San Pedro Creek and the
Euro-Anglo environment on the East.
Figure 3. “ Historical Map of Old San Antonio de Bexar,” detail of 1837 Laredito neighborhood by John D. Rullman, created in
1912.
At the heart of the demarcation line (San Pedro Creek), lay the area currently proposed for the
western portion of El Mercado Zona Cultural. Bounded on the north by Houston Street and on the
South by Nueva, a ten block commercial core between San Pedro Creek and Pecos (now west of I-
35), became city property in 1890s, when the new city hall opened (Arreola). The western end of the
area continued to serve as a social center for Tejano culture including the chili stands until the late
1930s. The northern quadrant was transformed by the new formality of municipal engagement, and
yet, it became the site of “Night in Mexico,” a locally sponsored event featuring folk dances and
traditional celebrations. (WPA 1938). On the eastern end stood the Mexican business district, a six
block stretch of Laredo from Houston to Nueva streets. The 1924 city directory listed 73 Mexican
businesses on this street alone (Martinello).
By the 1940s the Laredito neighborhood along with Produce Row, would continue to boast an active
number of cultural businesses that mirrored many of those that existed in the late 19th century. Of
course, instead of liveries and stables, automotive repair shops and gasoline stations would take their
place. Produce, restaurants and bars would remain at the top of the list in terms of quantity. See Table
3.
DEMOGRAPHICS
Several census polls were taken by Spanish and Mexican entities in the early years of the Villa de San Antonio
de Bexar. For the purposes on this report, I begin reporting with a census taking in 1832. I have chosen this
time because little change in the demographics takes place before this period. The population before 1832 is
primarily composed of the First People who inhabited the area—the various groups of Coahuilatecans that
called this place Yanaguana (Place of Refreshing Waters)—added to by the colonists who arrived in the early
18th century.
The 1832 census report of Barrio del Norte indicates a population large composed of the descendents of the
Canary Island families and the small group of colonists, soldiers and their families which preceded them. For
the area proposed for the El Mercado Zona Cultural, it is important to note that a large number of families
who were given original land grants in the 18th century, continued to live and own land in the area from Main
Plaza to the neighborhood of Laredito. See map on next page.
The demographics would dramatically change in the next decade as Texas began to prosper after the Civil
War and new waves of European immigrants would settle in the area. The first census of San Antonio
conducted by the United States occurred in 1850. The percentage of people identified as Hispanic was 48%,
reflecting the population of immigrant Canary Islanders, Franciscan missionaries, Mexican soldiers and their
families, as well as old Spanish families that had arrived in 1718. Natives of the United States and Natives of
Europe accounted for 23 percent each reflecting the settlers from the United States that had begun to trickle
in after the 1836 battle at the Alamo. The remaining 6 percent of the population were slaves that typically had
accompanied natives of the United States from slave owning states.
The 1860 census tabulated a population of 7, 142 and reflected a dramatic decline in the population of
Hispanic population. The percentage of population identified as Hispanic had fallen to 29% while the
European population had increased to 44%, mostly composed of German immigrants. Many of the
Germans were of an educated class who were fleeing the 1848 revolution. With them, they brought many of
their cultural institutions, including architecture, mercantile and music. In a speech made by Angel Navarro as
a state representative for Bexar County that year (Knight), he stated that San Antonio was dominated by three
major ethnic groups that he dubbed the Americans, the Mexicans and The Germans, the greater part being
Germans and Mexicans. Each of these groups determined the image, the identity, and the built environment
of San Antonio. Nowhere was this more evident than in the area proposed for El Mercado Zona Cultural.
Here in the names of business owners tell a story of multiple nationalities and ethnicities existing side by side.
Jacob Dullnig who owned a grocery store was Austrian by birth. F. Kalteyer, a chemist and pharmacist was a
German immigrant. William Krempkau was Texan born of Prussian parents. Hungarian Joseph Varga ran a
saddlery shop next door to Jose Francisco Ruiz’s, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence, house.
Antonio Bruni, an Italian grocer and Ed Kotula, a polish dry goods merchant also ran business in the area.
Indeed there were so many nationalities represented, that scholar Judith Berb Sobre, in her book San Antonio
on Parade: Six Historic Festivals, explains that San Antonians of this era had to be multilingual in order to thrive.
A curious notice in an 1877 edition of the San Antonio Express states:
To the Citizens of San Antonio
Who employ labor, cooks, washers
And ironers, house servants & etc.
We will make application in New Orleans
for a number of Irish girls, to be
brought to this city, for all who desire good
servants, by calling at our office, leaving
their names, stating what duties they
wish them to perform, and wages they
wish to give.
Call early. Applicants list will go to
New Orleans on the 30th June
M. J. Silbert & Co.
Intelligence Office
South Side Main Plaza
The employment of help imported from Ireland indicated not only economic and environmental woes in
Ireland, it also indicated a growing wealthy population in San Antonio. While the demographics city-wide
were changing quickly, the demographics within the Laredito to Main Plaza remained dominantly Tejano. See
table 4. (TO COME)
Selective Timeline of Key Events
1718
First community of Spanish Colonists, headed by Martin de Alarcón settles near the area (likely San
Pedro Springs) and establishes Presidio San Antonio de Béxar.
1722
The presidio is relocated to the area now know as Military Plaza.
1730
The Viceroy of Mexico issues the formal order to create San Fernando de Béxar.
1731
2 July— Juan Antonio Perez de Almazan, captain of the Presidio of San Antonio, lays out a central
square for the Villa of San Fernando de Béxar and becomes the first chartered civil settlement in
Texas.
1731
9 March—Twenty-five Canary Island families reach San Antonio de Bexar.
1738
May—San Fernando Church Cornerstone is laid.
1749
“Spanish Governor’s Palace” is constructed.
1755
San Fernando Church is completed.
1773
Villa de San Fernando de Bexar is recognized as the provincial capital. It continues in this capacity
until 1824.
1821
Mexico wins independence from Spain.
1868
Extensive renovations to San Fernando Church begin, Francois P. Giraurd architect.
1874
San Fernando is designated a cathedral.
1881
Train Depot for International and Great Northern (I & GN) railway is build at the intersection of
Houston and Medina Streets.
1890
City Hall Completed.
1896
Bexar County Courthouse Completed
1909
The I & GN Hotel is built across from the I & GN Depot
1987
13 September—Pope John Paul II visits San Fernando Cathedral
ARCHITECTURAL INVENTORY ADDENDUM
To include list of buildings and statements of significance
Cattleman Square
The Cattleman Square Historic District is located west of downtown San Antonio, along the Union Pacific
Railroad tracks. The district began to develop in the 1880s, shortly after the railroad arrived, and most of the
extant buildings were constructed between ca. 1880 and ca. 1910. The I & GN Passenger Railroad Station,
which anchors the district, was constructed in 1907. Most of the architecture in the district is vernacular, but
the railroad station features eclectic Mission Revival and Romanesque Revival stylistic influences. Brick is the
primary construction material. Buildings range in scale from modest one-story commercial buildings to the
massive railroad station, which is three stories plus towers and a dome.
-- A Guide to San Antonio’s Historic Resources
City of San Antonio Historic Design Guidelines
Office of Historic Preservation
Main and Military Plaza
The Main and Military Plaza Historic District is located at the core of downtown San Antonio, on the west
bank of the San Antonio River. Military Plaza was established in 1722 as a parade ground for Spanish
soldiers, and a small development emerged around it. Main Plaza was established as a market square slightly
east of Military Plaza in 1731. The Spanish Governor’s Palace was built on the western edge of Military Plaza
in 1749, using Spanish Vernacular building traditions. The oldest portion of the church that would become
the San Fernando Cathedral was constructed on the western face of Main Plaza (between Main Plaza and
Military Plaza) from 1731 through 1755. From 1868 through 1873, the new portion of San Fernando
Cathedral was built to the east of the old church, in the Gothic Revival Style. In 1882, Bexar County
constructed a Romanesque Revival Style courthouse on the southern face of Main Plaza. From 1888 through
1891, the City of San Antonio constructed a Renaissance Revival Style city hall (modified in the 1920s) at the
center of Military Plaza. Throughout the history of the district commercial buildings were located around the
two plazas. The commercial buildings extant today date from the late nineteenth century to the early twentyfirst century. Because of the extended period of development, buildings in the district vary greatly in style,
materials and scale, ranging from one-story structures to skyscrapers.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Arreola, D. (1995). Urban Ethnic Landscape Identity. Geographical Review, Vol. 85, No. 4 , 518-534.
Bexar County Texas, C. C. (n.d.). Bexar County Property Records. Retrieved from Bexar County County
Clerk Records: https://gov.propertyinfo.com/tx-bexar/
Bremer, T. S. (2004). Blessed with Tourists. Chapel Hill and London: The University of North Carolina
Press.
Co., S.-P. M. (n.d.). 1888 San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas Sheets 2, 3. Retrieved from Sanborn Maps of
Texas Perry Castaneda Map Collection: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/sanborn/s.html
Gaines, A. G. (2010, June 15). San Fernando Cathedral. Retrieved September 18, 2014, from Handbook
of Texas Online: https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/ivs01
Knight, L. P. (n.d.). Mary Menger; Becoming a City and Becoming American, San Antonio, Texas 18481861. Retrieved October 14, 2014, from Journal of the Life and Culture of San Antonio:
http://www.uiw.edu/sanantonio/BecomingaCity1.html
Martinello, M. L. (2009). The Search for A Chili Queen: On the Fringes of a Rebozo. Fort Worth: Texas
Christian University Press.
Menchaca, A. (1937). Memoirs. San Antonio, Texas: Yanaguana Society.
Miller, C. (2004). Deep inithe Heart of San Antonio: Land and Life in South Texas. San Antonio, Texas:
Trinity University Press.
Miller, C. (2005). On the Border: an Environmental History of San Antonio. San Antonio: Trinity University
Press.
Morrison & Fourmy. (1883-1887). Historical Business Review. In Morrison & Fourmy's General Directory
of the City of San Antonio. Morrison & Fourmy.
Rodriguez, M. (1913). Rodriguez Memoirs of Early Texas. San Antonio: Passing Show.
San Antonio Express. (1877-1899). Advertisements. San Antonio Express .
States, U. (n.d.). 1940 Census Bexar County San Antonio. Retrieved October 1, 2014, from National
Archives 1940 Census:
http://1940census.archives.gov/search/?search.county=Bexar%20County&search.page=1&search.result
_type=map&search.state=TX#searchby=location&searchmode=browse
States, U. (1860). United States Eighth Census (1860), Bexar County, Texas, Population Schedules. United
States.
Texas A & M University. (n.d.). Retrieved from TAMU History Hispanic Period:
http://www.tamu.edu/faculty/ccbn/dewitt/adp/history/hispanic_period/presidio.html
Workers of the Writers' Program, W. T. (1941). Along the San Antonio River. San Antonio: City of San
Antonio.
Soledad Block
The Soledad Block and University Block buildings are vestiges of the type of commercial
architecture that developed along Houston Street in late 19th century. Many of these early
commercial structures were replaced by more modern high-rise buildings in the early 20th
century, however this block remains intact. The Italianate style Soledad Block was designed
about 1884 by noted San Antonio architect Alfred Giles. It is one of the oldest commercial
buildings remaining on Houston Street. Adjoining the Soledad Block is the University Block. It
was designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style and features elaborately carved exterior
ornamentation with dragons and other figures.
Municipal Plaza/ Frost Bank Building
Designed in 1922 by Fort Worth architectural firm Sanguinet and Staats, the headquarters of
Frost National Bank, established in 1868, occupied this building until a new headquarters was
constructed one block north in the early 1970s. Coin medallions carved in relief between the
arched windows reflect the building’s origins as a bank. The building now houses municipal
offices and the City Council Chamber for the City of San Antonio.
Rand Building
Constructed in 1913 for real estate investor Edwin Rand, the Rand Building was home to the
Wolff and Marx Department Store from 1913 to 1965. The building was designed by the
architectural firm Sanguinet and Staats of Forth Worth and reflects the Chicago-style influence
on commercial architecture in the early 1900s. With features like elaborate glazed terra cotta
detailing, the design of the detail is reminiscent of the intricate organic ornament seen on
buildings designed by highly influential architect Louis Sullivan. Sullivan was a leader in
developing the Chicago School style and a mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright. He is considered by
many to be the father of the modern skyscraper. Wolff and Marx Department Store occupied all
eight stories. The store even had a Japanese Tea Room on the fourth floor. Wolff and Marx
merged with Joske’s Department Store of San Antonio in the mid 1960s and closed operations in
the building.
Plaza de Armas
The presidio or military garrison of San Antonio moved to this permanent site in 1722 from its
original 1718 location farther north on San Pedro Creek. Military troops of Spain once drilled in
this plaza and “chili queens” reigned here in the 19th century. Military Plaza evolved from an
early community gathering and market place into the site of City Hall. A number of historic
markers and statues are located throughout the plaza. Statue of Moses Austin, father of Stephen
F. Austin of the Austin colony, the Zero Milestone Marker of the Old Spanish Trail auto
highway, connecting cities of Spanish Colonial heritage from St. Augustine, Florida to
California, the Cinco de Mayo memorial honoring Hispanics in Texas, and a bust of Franklin
Delano Roosevelt, who spearheaded the Works Progress Administration that helped to build the
Riverwalk, and a Texas Historical Marker commemorating the development of barbed wire,
instrumental in Texas ranching. From its beginning as the Spanish Presidio, established in 1722
by the Marques de Aguayo on the banks of San Pedro Creek, through its days as the Plaza de
Armas, heart of an emerging regional center, Military Plaza has played a pivotal role in the
development of San Antonio. The tradition of the plaza as a place of government, established in
the 18th century by the Presidio and the Spanish Governor's Palace, continued into the 19th
century with the combination jail, courthouse and city hall structure known as the "Bat Cave". In
its turn, the "Bat Cave" was demolished to make way for the present city hall, erected in 1891.
But the dedication of the new city hall unfortunately signaled the end of another traditional
function on the plaza; the once-active hay and vegetable markets were forced to relocate, and the
legendary chili queens, "beautiful, bantering but virtuous, "who for nearly a century had hawked
their savory concoctions from rickety booths around the square, were banished to Alamo Plaza
and were soon to fall prey to an overly zealous health department. With the open- air market,
however, had developed a thriving commerce in wool, cotton, hides and leather, in wholesale
groceries and provisions and in tin supplies and hardware, all of which continued in the buildings
surrounding the plaza well into the 20th century.
Bexar County Courthouse
Designed by acclaimed courthouse architect James Riely Gordon.Gordon is believed to have
designed over a dozen courthouses in Texas and over 60 throughout the nation. He first practiced
architecture in San Antonio before moving to New York where he achieved national prominence.
The Romanesque Revival style building was constructed between 1891-1894 of Texas granite
and red sandstone. Romanesque Revival civic architecture was popularized by nationally by
Henry Hobson Richardson and the style is often referred to as Richardsonian Romanesque.
Romanesque Revival features include the heavy massing of the building, its tall towers,
rusticated stone surfaces coupled with delicate organic ornament, dramatic semi-circular arched
entrance, and recessed windows set within arched openings. Though altered by numerous
additions by prominent San Antonio architects, the courthouse retains the original main facade.
The 1896 Lady Liberty Fountain was located in the east courtyard of the Courthouse until 1927,
when an addition enclosed the courtyard. After years in storage and an extensive restoration, the
Lady Liberty Fountain returned to grace the front of the Courthouse in 2008. A number of
historical markers and interpretive pavers are located throughout the Courthouse plaza.
In front of the Bexar County Justice Center is a recreated portion of the original San Pedro
acequia. Native Indians constructed acequias, or irrigation ditches, for the Spanish missions
beginning in 1718. These acequias eventually encompassed over 15 miles of channels from the
San Antonio River and San Pedro Springs. The San Antonio acequias were designated a
National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1968
Spanish Governor’s Palace
This structure initially served as the residence and headquarters of the captain of the Presidio de
Bexar, who represented the King of Spain in the governor’s absence. The Hapsburg coat-of-arms
over the door is dated 1749, suggesting the building’s completion date. The Hapsburg coat-ofarms was adopted by King Charles I of Spain in the 1500s. The complex was designed around a
central landscaped courtyard in a manner in keeping with traditional Spanish residential
architecture. Other traditional Spanish architectural features include: canales—roof drains that
extend outward from the front façade; roof parapet; heavy, paneled wooden doors; and a white
plastered exterior. The building was saved in the early 20th century by the combined efforts of
Adina de Zavala’s Texas Historical and Landmarks Association and the San Antonio
Conservation Society. Today’s appearance primarily reflects somewhat inaccurate reconstruction
efforts by San Antonio architect Harvey P. Smith in 1929-1930. Smith is perhaps best known for
overseeing the restoration of Mission San Jose. Owned by the City of San Antonio and
maintained as a museum with period furnishings, the building is a designated National Historic
Landmark, the highest national honor and one of only seven in San Antonio. Others include the
Alamo, Fort Sam Houston, Hangar 9 at Brooks Air Force Base, the Majestic Theater, and
Mission Concepcion. The conquistador sculpture outside was a gift from Spain in 1977.
San Fernando Cathedral
The Spanish crown established this site in 1731 for the Canary Islanders, who began construction
of the parish church in 1737. The present Gothic Revival style façade is an addition. The smaller,
original Spanish Colonial Church was enlarged in the mid 19th century. Architects exposed and
restored the oldest portion of the church, the apse and sanctuary, in 1977. These sections are
visible at the rear of the building. A full exterior and interior renovation was completed in 2003.
The statue of San Antonio de Padua, for whom the city was named, was relocated near the
Cathedral in 2009. Architects on the cathedral include John Odin (1840); Francois Giraud (186877); Leo M.J. Dielmann (1922); and Ford Powell & Carson (1977).
Main Plaza
The Canary Islanders, the first civilian settlers of San Fernando de Bexar, made their homes on
this plaza as early as 1731. Then, as now, the parish church was here, as well as many
governmental and business buildings. This plaza still serves as the traditional center of business
and government. Beginning in 2007, the City renovated Main Plaza with the permanent closure
of N. Main Street and E. Main Plaza (once through-streets at the east and west sides of Main
Plaza). Improvements, including extensive landscaping, stonework, fountains, and other
amenities, have once again transformed Main Plaza into a central city gathering place for locals
and visitors.
O. Henry House
Typical of the homes of early German settlers, this two-room dwelling was built by John Kush
about 1855. It originally stood on south Presa Street. It was occupied in 1895-96 by William
Sidney Porter, who gained national renown as the short story writer O. Henry. Here he issued a
weekly humorous newspaper, "The rolling stone".
The Wolfson Building
The Wolfson Building was constructed in 1880 and designed by the noted 19th-century San
Antonio architect Alfred Giles. The two-story Italianate-style corner building featured arched
windows on the second floor and a bracketed cornice. Wolfson’s Dry Goods and Clothing Store
formed a cornerstone of Main Plaza when the plaza served as a booming retail center in the late
19th century. The De Zavala Daughters of the Heroes of the Alamo donated a historic plaque in
the early 20th century that was visible inside the building through the front windows.2 The
plaque identified the location as reportedly having been used by Santa Anna as his headquarters
after the fall of the Alamo. Bell Furniture Company occupied the building for decades during the
20th century until it closed in January 1992 after 62 years of business. The company was started
in 1928 by brothers Sam, Joseph, Harry, and Herbert Hyman. The building burned and was
demolished in 2012.
Solo Serve Bldg and Soledad Buildings
The buildings along Soledad Street within the Solo Serve block are as follows below. The Book
Building is actually around the corner on E. Houston St. All of them are within the Main and
Military Plaza Local Historic District. They are also within the Main & Military Plaza National
Register District but are not listed as contributing resources, except for the properties in the
Soledad Block on E. Houston. The Solo Serve and Soledad Buildings consist of the following
structures:
100 Soledad (Kampman Building / Payless)
108 Soledad (Carson Building)
110 Soledad (Carson Building / Mexican Manhattan)
112 Soledad (L. Brenner Bldg – does not have address in GIS)
114-118 & 120-128 Soledad (all part of 114 Soledad in GIS) (Old Bexar County
Courthouse/Jail/Veramendi Palace Site / former Solo Serve)
130 Soledad (Clegg Bldg.)
134 Soledad (appears to be part of Soledad Block on E. Houston?)
116 E. Houston (Soledad Block/Savoy Hotel)
Morris Hotel Apartments
The Morris Hotel Building started out as the Washer Building, built in 1908. There was another
office building prior to 1908 at that location, the Boero Building. I have attached an article about
the new Washer Building dated April 18, 1908. By 1913 the Washer Building became the
Prudential Life Building and later the Prudential Hotel. The location has been known as the
Morris Apartment Hotel since the mid-1950s.
Kallison Block
The two-story commercial block reflects the Spanish mission influence with decorative elements
at the second floor and above the corner entrance. Kallison’s, the famous ranch and western
store, has been in business in the area since the 19th century and maintained a store at the
southern end of this block for many years.
Vogel Belt Complex
At its completion in 1888, the four-building complex which, along with the Spanish Governor's
Palace, forms the west side of San Antonio's Military Plaza, presented one of the most
impressive limestone facades to be seen anywhere in the city. The buildings were mostly
destroyed by fire in 1891. In 1892 these two structures were rebuilt essentially as they are seen
today. This building was substantially altered with the widening of Dolorosa Street in 1928 but
retains its original limestone facade at the rear, now covered with stucco. The complex gets its
name from Adolph Vogel, who established an army goods store in 1926 and later a leather
product business at the location. The complex was acquired by Urban Renewal in 1968, leaving
only the Vogel Belt name.
Fashion Theater
The Fashion Theater was opened on December 22, 1884. For though the Fashion had been
established to bring high-class entertainment to San Antonio and, according to the San Antonio
Light, was elaborately appointed with "a grand skylight in the center which, in warm weather,
can be opened for ventilation, a spacious staircase,.. four heavy mirrors for the bar...," The
theater slowly lost money and quality, closing and opening intermittently. The Fashion Theater
burned on the evening of December 10, 1891.
Book Building
The Book Building was constructed in 1906 and is an outstanding example of Renaissance
Revival architecture. The brick building features a five-bay façade supported by brick pilasters
capped with Corinthian capitals. The building is named for Dwight Dana Book, a civil engineer,
who came to San Antonio in 1904 to house his business and also as rental property. When Bok
died in 1955, he gave the building to the University of Texas and renovations were undertaken in
1978.
Zona Cultural Historic Landmarks
Address
Name
100 Dolorosa
Bexar County Courthouse
100 N. Main
former Wolfson Building site
100 Plaza de Armas
Plaza de Armas (Military Plaza)
100 Plaza de Armas
City Hall
100 Soledad
Kampmann Building Block
100 W. Houston
Rand Building
101 S. Flores
Kallison Block
101 W. Commerce
Adleman/ Morris Building
102 Produce Row
Commercial Building
103 Produce Row
Uhl Building no. 1
Botica Guadalupana
104 Produce Row
105 Plaza de Armas
Spanish Governor's Palace
Commercial Building
105 Produce Row
Wing Fat Building
106 Produce Row
Uhl Building #2
107 Produce Row
La Margarita Restaurant
108 Produce Row
108 Soledad
Karem Building
Arnaud / Cortez Building
109 Produce Row
110 Soledad
Carson Building
111 N. Flores
Katleyer Complex
111 Plaza de Armas
Vogel Belt Building
111 Santa Rosa
Uhl Building no. 1
112 Soledad
Benner Building
113 N. Flores
Reyes Bar
114 E. Main Plaza
Ramsey/ Ford Building
114 Soledad
Masonic Building/ Old Bexar County Courthouse
114 W. Commerce
Muncipal Plaza/ Frost Bank Building
115 Main Plaza
San Fernando Cathedral
115 Plaza de Armas
Fashion Theater
116 E. Houston
Savoy Hotel
117 and 119 S. Flores
Chapa Building
118 Main Plaza
Ford Building
120 Camaron
Old Jail
123 S. Flores
Zipp Building
124 E. Houston
Soledad Block
126 E. Main Plaza
Morris Apartments
129 S. Flores
Archaeological site-Kallison property
130 Soledad
Clegg Building
140 E. Houston
Book Building
200 E. Main Plaza
San Antonio City Jail
226 W. Houston
Commercial Building
232 W. Houston
Commercial Building
240 W. Houston
Budweiser Brewery
300 Dolorosa
Bexar County Justice Center
302 W. Houston
Archaeological site-Lone Star Brewery
Statement of Significance
yes
yes
no
yes
no
no
yes
no
no
no
no
yes
no
no
no
no
no
no
no
no
yes
no
no
no
no
no
no
yes
no
yes
no
no
no
no
no
yes
yes
yes
yes
no
no
no
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no
no
314 W. Houston
323 W. Comerce
328 W. Houston
331 W. Commerce
337 W. Commerce
345 W. Commerce
406 Dolorosa
406 W. Commerce
408 Dolorosa
416 Dolorosa
501 W. Houston
601 Dolorosa
612 W. Commerce
707 Dolorosa
717 Dolorosa
San Pedro Creek
Historic Districts
Main and Military Plaza
Alameda Theater
Commercial Building
Casa International
Commercial Building
Klines Building
Leeds Building
Kotulla Building
La Feria
Basse-Heusinger Building
Fawcett Furniture Building
Milam Park
O' Henry House/ Arana Building
Farmers Market
Commercial Building
Commercial Building
San Pedro Creek
no
no
no
no
no
no
no
no
no
no
no
yes
no
no
no
no