Otto Koehler House

German immigrant and president of the Pearl Brewing Company, Otto Koehler (1855-1914), built this grand, elegant Victorian home in 1901. Designed by architect Carol von Seutter, notable features include Palladian windows, balustraded porches, large round bays, and a polygonal turret. It is located on the San Antonio College campus and for many years operated as the Koehler Cultural Center and housed the studios of the Visual Arts and Technology Department. Its use as of of April 2023 is unclear. The house sits on a property that occupies an entire city block and includes a large carriage house.

Otto Koehler was born on April 28, 1855 in the town of Aldfeld, Germany. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1872 and made his way to St. Louis where he got a job working at the Griesedieck Brewing Company. He eventually moved to San Antonio in 1884 and appears to have become the manager of the Lone Star Brewery. By then, another brewer, Jaroslav B. Behloradsky, had established City Brewery and produced a lager beer. Otto Koehler and two partners established the San Antonio Brewing Association and in 1887 acquired City Brewing Company, which they renamed Pearl Brewing Company. Most accounts state that the Association bought the name "Pearl" and beer formula of the Kaiser-Beck Brewery in Bremen, Germany but it is also possible that both were purchased from the Griesedieck Brewing Company (the use of the word "pearl" is believed to refer to the bubbles of a freshly poured glass of beer).

By 1902 Koehler became president of the Pearl Brewing Company. He proceeded to modernize the brewery's equipment and as a result, production gradually increased. Pearl became the largest brewery in the state by 1916, producing 110,000 barrels each year. Koehler was involved in a number of other business ventures as well. He was the principal owner of the Hot Sulphur Wells resort, invested in banks, organized two mines and a rubber factory in Mexico, and served as the president of 15 corporations. He and his wife, Emma (1858-1943), lived comfortable, upper-class lives and were active in the community. They also raised two nephews and a niece. The Koehlers often traveled to Europe and were there at the outbreak of World War I.

Tragically, Koehler's life came to an end in 1914 when a nurse, Hedda, who was rumored to be his mistress, shot him to death in the house on November 12. Hedda was acquitted in January. After Koehler's death, Emma became president of the company and managed his investments. She also took his position on the many boards he was a member of. Emma remained active in the community and continued her philanthropic activities as well. She served as president until the early 1940s. She died at the house on April 26, 1943.

The family later deeded the house and property to San Antonio College in 1971. In February 2022, it was reported that a developer was going to buy the Koehler House to convert it into a hotel with a restaurant. It is unclear if this sale went through.

Hennech, Michael C. “Pearl Brewing Company.” Handbook of Texas Online. October 1, 1995. Last Updated October 25, 2022. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/pearl-brewing-company.

"Otto Koehler House." San Antonio Registry. Accessed April 11, 2023. https://www.sahouseregistry.com/houses/310-w-ashby.

"Otto Koehler House." Texas Historical Markers. Accessed April 11, 2023. https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM9PRK_Otto_Koehler_House.

"Otto Koehler House." The Historical Marker Database. Accessed April 11, 2023. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=176085.

Porter, Sarah C. "Koehler, Emma Bentzen." Handbook of Texas Online. October 25, 2022. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/koehler-emma-bentzen.

Webner, Richard. "Weston Urban expected to buy Koehler House to serve as hotel, restaurant." February 21, 2022. https://saheron.com/weston-urban-expected-buy-koehler-house.