The homestead was donated to the San Antonio Conservation
Society&nbsp;by the granddaughter of Edward Steves, Edna Steves Vaughn, in
1952. The homestead has been restored to its original French Second Empire
style&nbsp;and furnished with time-appropriate pieces. Some of the furniture
featured are a mosaic table displaying an image of St. Peter's Square in
Vatican City as well an 1857 Chickering and Sons grand piano, which was donated
by Yale University.

In addition to the main house, the property includes a carriage
house, servants quarters and a brick structure known as "The River
House." The carriage house is even older than the main house dating back
to 1875. The stone structure was restored in 1976 and 1977. &nbsp;In 1877, the
servants quarters were added to the property and housed a gardener and stable
boy;&nbsp;in 1983 and 1984, the quarters were&nbsp;restored and are now where
tour tickets are sold.&nbsp;

The River House was a
natatorium--the first in San Antonio. According to the San Antonio Conservation
Society, "The pool was brick-lined and filled by an artesian well located
on the property. Local tradition relates that Mrs. Steves swam every day at two
o'clock no matter what the weather.&nbsp;" The pool has been&nbsp;covered
with flooring, and the San Antonio Conservation Society hosts events and activities
there.

Front Exterior of Steves Home
"Edward steves homestead" by Larry D. Moore. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edward_steves_homestead.jpg#/media/File:Edward_steves_homestead.jpg

More Info

The Edward Steves Homestead is a part of the historic King William District. Built in 1876, the victorian mansion was home to the founder of the Steves Lumber Company, Edward Steves, who with his wife, moved to San Antonio from Germany. It is speculated that popular San Antonio architect Alfred Giles was the the designer of the home. The house is made of ashlar limestone and is reminiscent of  the French Second Empire and the Italian Villa styles. Today, the home is maintained by the San Antonio Conservation Society and serves as a museum open to the public for historic tours.

Edward Steves Homestead

The Maverick Carter House is named for William Harvey Maverick, who built the home in 1893, and also for the Carter family who purchased it in 1914. The property was first opened to the public as a museum beginning in 2018. Many of the home's historical features have been preserved, including decorative stained-glass windows, maple and oak wainscoting, sandstone mantelpieces, and a wood-paneled nook with bench seats by the front entrance. Along with late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century furniture, the home still has a 'bell service' that connected various rooms to the kitchen to quickly reach the cook or other staff. The property is unusual in that it also has a nautical communication system, which was installed between rooms. Known as 'annunciator boxes,' the system involved tubes with a flap on either end, which could be lifted when speaking, or when listening to someone else speaking in another room. Later residents of the home found these features interesting but antiquated, as descendants described only ringing the bell service for fun rather than to impress their guests.William Harvey Maverick was the son of Samuel Maverick, a land baron and one of the original signatories to the Texas Declaration of Independence. William commissioned the British architect Alfred Giles to design the 23-room home in the Romanesque Revival style, featuring a rusticated limestone exterior, a rounded tower, and a Palladian arch window on the second floor. Giles completed many other commissions in San Antonio, including several Texas courthouse buildings, as well as private homes in the King William Historic District. In 1914, the property was purchased by H.C. Carter, a prominent San Antonio attorney and president of the Texas Bar Association. He and his second wife, Aline, raised their three children in this home. Towards the end of his career, Carter was colloquially referred to as 'Judge Carter' by friends and colleagues. When he died, the Bexar County Courthouses were closed during the afternoon of his funeral.Carter's wife, Aline, added her own flair to the home following their marriage in 1916. Born in San Antonio, Aline attended Wellesley College in Massachusetts. She also studied harp performance at Boston Conservatory. Along with her devout Episcopal faith and love of music, Aline was fascinated by astronomy, maintaining a lifelong interest in the arts and sciences. She converted the home's library into a small chapel with a century-old pump organ, and she added an observatory and telescope to the roof of the house so that she could study the night sky. Dedicated to social work, Aline also taught astronomy, geology, reading, writing, and nature studies in the local and county jails. In the 1930s, she commissioned the artisan Ethel Wilson Harris, who had worked on Aline's previous projects, to build a chapel on the highest natural point on Mustang Island in Port Aransas. Following Sunday school each week, Alice served ice cream to the island's local children, while regaling them with stories and poems. Known as Chapel on the Dunes, the site is open for public tours on the first and third weekend each month.Today, the Maverick Carter House offers public tours and programs relating to Aline Carter's abiding interests in music, astronomy, and poetry. Between 1947 and 1949, she served as the Poet Laureate of Texas, and the original typewriter that she used to write poems has been preserved, along with her piano. Aline first honed her craft while studying poetry at Wellesley College, although she did not become a professional poet until after her husband's death. She went on to publish two collections of poetry, and in 1950, she won first prize in a Paris competition for poetry on the theme of peace. After serving as the Poet Laureate of Texas, Aline became the Vice President of the Texas Poetry Society, and she helped to nurture emerging poets through the annual Aline B. Carter Peace Prize. With her friend and fellow writer, Lucia Trent, she worked to establish a statewide Poetry Day in 1948. To honor Aline's commitment to poetry and the literary arts, the Maverick Carter House hosts an annual poetry contest with scholarships for youths, in addition to poetry readings and lectures. The museum also celebrates Texas Poetry Day each year on October 15th.

Built in 1893, this three-story limestone mansion opened to the public as a museum in 2018. It was originally built for William Harvey Maverick, whose father had been one of the signatories to the Texas Declaration of Independence. In 1914, the property was purchased by H.C. Carter, a prominent San Antonio attorney and former president of the Texas Bar Association. Carter's wife, Aline, had strong interests in music, astronomy, and poetry, and she later became a professional poet, serving as the Poet Laureate of Texas from 1947 to 1949. Aline Carter worked with the artisan Ethel Wilson Harris to convert the home's library into a small chapel with a century-old pump organ. She also added an astronomical observatory onto the roof for viewing the night sky. Aline's original typewriter and piano have been preserved, along with period furniture and other unique features within the home, including a nautical communication system and a bell service. The Maverick Carter House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998 and designated a Texas Historic Landmark in 2010.

The Maverick Carter House

The congregation was established in 1858. At the time, the city was a frontier outpost and difficult to get to. Nonetheless, the congregation pushed forward and hired famous&nbsp;New York City church architect, Richard Upjohn, to design it. The church is the only one Texas he designed and one of the few of his west of the Mississippi River. Before the war, Col. (and later, General) Robert E. Lee was stationed in San Antonio and was an active member of the church, leading a number of parish activities.&nbsp; It took along time for the church to be completed.&nbsp;Construction began in December&nbsp;1859 but the Civil War and the turmoil of the Reconstruction era prevented it from being finished until 1875. As stated above, the other buildings (and additions to the church) were completed in the 1900s.

Located across the street from Travis Park, St. Mark's Episcopal Church is a beautiful Gothic Revival church built in 1875. The other structures, including the parish hall and education building, were erected in the 1900s. The church features buttresses, steep roofs, angled walls, and stained glass windows—all typical features of Gothic architecture. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.  

St. Mark's Episcopal Church

Membership to the club was limited to German men who gathered to socialize, play games, read, and discuss literary related topics. Apparently, a number of distinguished guests visited the club (the Casino Club)&nbsp;in its early years including generals Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee. The club remained very active until the Great Depression, which took a toll on the club's finances. The club was forced to sell the building in 1940. In 1942, oilman Thomas Gilcrease bought it to use it as the headquarters for his company. Gilcrease also housed his collection of Western art in the building. He sold the building in 1952 to an insurance company. During the next 20 years or so, it was mostly vacant. At some point, presumably in the 1980s, the building was converted into apartments. As for the club itself, it appears that it remained active until the 1960s.

The San Antonio Casino Club Building is a historic, triangle-shaped structure situated along the San Antonio Riverwalk at the intersection of Crockett and Press Streets. Erected in 1927, it is unique not only for its shape but for the fact that its design combines Art Deco architecture with Mayan detailing. It also features a stepped central above the main entrance. The club was founded in 1925 when two clubs (the Casino Club, established 1854; and the San Antonio Club, established 1881) merged. The San Antonio Casino Club Building once featured club rooms, dormitories, dining rooms, and a ballroom. Today, it is now an apartment building with a restaurant on the ground floor. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The art collection is now located at the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

San Antonio Casino Club Building

Founded by Linda Pace, artist, collector, and businesswoman,
in 1995, Artpace originally only hosted artists who came from San
Antonio.&nbsp; In 1998, the gallery expanded
its residency program to the entire state of Texas before welcoming its doors
to national and international artists as it does today.&nbsp; For the residency program, a panel of art
professionals and individual curators select the artists.&nbsp;&nbsp;The International Artist in Residence Program
welcomes 9 artists a year.&nbsp; Thrice a
year, Artpace’s guest curator invites 3 artists to live in San Antonio for 2
months; an international artist, a national artist, and a Texas artist are invited
to live and create art, upon which after completion will be on exhibit for 2
months.&nbsp; Artpace’s Hudson Show Room was
named for the Hudson car dealership that originally occupied this 1920s
building.&nbsp; Artpace also features Window
Works, a different type of art experience where visitors can walk along the
exterior windows from Artace’s Main Avenue and view the art exhibited.

San Antonio’s Artpace is an internationally renowned artist residency program and contemporary art museum.  Artpace welcomes national and international artists and creates an environment for artists to experiment with their work and grow as an artist.  In addition to ts residency program, the gallery also hosts exhibition programs and educational programs for K-12, the community, university, and adults.  

Artpace

Since the early 1970s, composer and sound artist Bill Fontana has explored the recording of sound to create what he describes as 'sound sculptures.' By designing large-scale sound installations that audiences can move through and interact with, he hopes to transform people's perceptions about both the built and natural environments. He considers the natural world to be one of his primary sources of inspiration and has described nature as a "living source of musical information, with aesthetic and evocative qualities that can convey visual information." By highlighting sounds that occur naturally, such as the flow of water, birdsong, and other animal vocalizations, Fontana's work inspires people to reflect on the natural world, especially in urban environments and in other cultural contexts.Fontana has created site-specific sound installations in cities around the world from San Francisco to Kyoto, Japan. His work has been featured in international exhibitions at venues such as the Vienna Art History Museum and Vienna Natural History Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Tate Modern and Tate Britain in London, the 48th Vienna Biennale, and many others. Most often, he has experimented with recording ambient sounds in one location and transferring them to another, such as bringing rural sounds into the city, although he also makes recordings in urban environments. For his "Sonic Passage" installation on the San Antonio River, loudspeakers under the Jones Bridge pipe out a continually changing soundscape based on the recordings that Fontana made along the San Antonio River, from its headwaters near the city all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico, where the river's estuary supports numerous bird species.Fontana's vision for "Sonic Passage" was to create a "call of the wild" type of audio installation. His main subjects were the birds, crickets, bullfrogs, and buzzing insects that reside around the San Antonio River, comprising a complex ecosystem. In addition to recording the rush of water, Fontana also recorded the sounds of human activity, such as people bicycling on the River Walk, and the sound of an old mill wheel turning. The finished product is a unique sound collage that captures day to day life along the river. This work of public art was commissioned and funded by the San Antonio River Foundation. It one of several large-scale installations along the River Walk intended to raise awareness about local ecology, highlighting the significance of the river to the city of San Antonio and to the people, animals, and plants that depend upon it.

”Sonic Passage” was created for the 2009 Museum Reach, which extended the River Walk northeast of downtown. The San Antonio River Foundation commissioned the sound artist Bill Fontana to create a unique installation at the Jones Avenue Underpass and Bridge. Fontana spent time recording the sounds of local wildlife in their natural habitats, including crickets, bullfrogs, insects, and birds, as well as moving water, to reflect the ecology of the river and surrounding areas. He also recorded the sounds of human interaction, such as the passage of riverboats, the sound of an old mill wheel turning, and cyclists traversing the River Walk. The result was "Sonic Passage," part ambient soundscape and part public art project, highlighting the convergence of nature and culture along the San Antonio River.

"Sonic Passage" (San Antonio River Walk)

When the original Bottling Department building at the Pearl Brewery Company burned down in 2004, the historic materials were salvaged as much as possible. Although the brewery had already closed in 2001, a redevelopment plan was already underway for a new Pearl District that would incorporate the industrial buildings from the original Pearl Brewing complex. The architectural firm of Clayton &amp; Little was hired to conceptualize a reconstructed Bottling Department building to match the original, which had been built in the Classical Revival Style in 1894. The plan entailed developing the site as a space to showcase the emerging culinary talents of San Antonio's many local chefs.On an exterior side of the building, the architectural team also designed a steel and cedar patio for al fresco dining. The patio overlooks Gustav's Geysers, a splash pad and fountain in the adjacent green space known as "The Park at the Pearl," where outdoor community events are held. The patio also showcases the rusticated masonry on the building's exterior wall. Inside, the Food Hall offers an wide array of culinary options at food counters and kiosks. Concrete and tile flooring, industrial-era light fixtures, and exposed wooden beams work together to create a "refined, yet gritty" dining area. The interior space is also filled with natural light from the large windows.The architects drew upon historic photos of the original building, including its decorative elements, such as brick corbeling and stone arches, which call to mind the architecture of the 1890s. The updated building, now known as the Food Hall at Bottling Department, also utilized the skills of local masons, welders, woodworkers, in addition to the project's architectural and design teams. The completed Food Hall building is located across from a campus of The Culinary Institute of America, which is also within the Pearl District. The district itself is the final stop on San Antonio's River Walk Museum Reach extension trail, which extends a couple of miles northeast of downtown.Below the Food Hall at Bottling Department, the building's basement contains a music venue called "Jazz, TX." Doc Watkins, a jazz pianist who performs with his own trio, as well as with his own ten-piece orchestra, opened the nightclub in 2015. The venue currently offers live music via ticketed shows on Tuesdays through Saturdays, with an eclectic repertoire that includes both modern and New Orleans jazz, blues, big band music, Texas swing, Latin jazz, and salsa. The menu includes south Texas cuisine to accompany the live music and dancing. Since the club opened in the Pearl District in 2015, it has become one of the city's premiere venues for live jazz.

Built in 1894 as the bottling department for the Pearl Brewing Company, the original Classical Revival-style building was destroyed by a fire in 2004. However, the historic cornerstones and stone nameplates were salvaged, and the building was reconstructed as the new "Food Hall at Bottling Department" in the redeveloped Pearl District. The Food Hall contains several dining options, offering a diverse range of cuisine at various food stalls and counters. Underneath the building, the basement contains a live music venue known as "Jazz, TX." The original Bottling Department processed beverages for the San Antonio Brewing Company even before the name was changed to the Pearl Brewing Company, which remained in business until 2001.

Pearl Brewing Company (1894); Food Hall at Bottling Department

After being trained like his father to be a millwright and even becoming a master within the European guild, Carl Hilmar Guenther immigrated from Germany to the United States in 1848 (he was also a stonemason and cabinet maker). He first arrived in New York City then made his way to Wisconsin before traveling down the Mississippi River. He sailed back to Germany then returned a few months later, arriving in New Orleans around 1851. He became a U.S. citizen in 1854. Gunther founded the Pioneer Flour Mills (not its original name) in Gillespie County 1851, nine miles west of the town of Fredericksburg. After experiencing periods of flooding and drought, he decided to relocate his headquarters to San Antonio 1859. He also recognized the need in the city for a flour mill. In 1860, after building constructing his new mill—the city's first steam and water-powered mill—he built his home, which is in the King William Historic District, for himself and his wife, Henrietta Dorothea Pape. They married in 1855 and raised seven children in the home.Guenther became a leading member of the German immigrant community in San Antonio. The mill, which was built by local German farmers in exchange for milling, became a gathering place for Germans to gather and socialize. Guenther eventually helped establish a club and build a clubhouse. The company was incorporated as C.H. Guenther &amp; Son in 1898 and within a few years was renamed Pioneer Flour Mills. Guenther had also established an ice plant called the Southern Ice Company, which later became the Southern-Henke Ice Company. In 1902, Hilmar's youngest son, Erhard (1868-1945), became president of the mill and he remodeled the home as it appears today. The home and business has remained in the Guenther family. The house, which opened to the public in 1988, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

German immigrant and founder of Pioneer Flour Mills, Carl H. Guenther (1825-1902), built this home in 1860. The home and business has successfully remained in the Guenther family, and today, the home features a museum, mill store, and restaurant. The museum features a variety of items on display including Dresden china plates, baking accessories, paintings, and fine furniture such as a Victoria marble-top table.

Guenther House

Silvestre Revueltas was born on December 31, 1899 in the town of Santiago Papasquiaro in the state of Durango. His parents recognized his musical talents at a young age and gave him a violin when he was seven years old. In his teen years, he attended the National Conservatory in Mexico City from 1913-1916 and was sent to live in Austin in 1916 to escape the turmoil of the Mexican Revolution (1910-1921). In Austin he continued his musical studies at St. Edward College. In 1918, he left for Chicago where he attended the Chicago Musical College and graduated in 1920.Over the next decade, Revueltas worked as a violinist, orchestra directory, and professor in the South, mostly in Texas and Alabama. He also traveled back to Mexico and on one of those trips met another musician, Carlos Chávez, who in 1928 founded the Mexican Symphonic Orchestra, which is now the National Symphony Orchestra of Mexico. Chávez invited Revueltas to join the orchestra as assistant conductor and soloist. Revueltas left that position in 1935, apparently due to differences with Chávez, and began working at the National Conservatory of Mexico. Revueltas also started to compose film scores around this time. In 1937, he joined the League of Revolutionary Writers and Artists (Liga de Escritores y Artistas Revolucionarios), which was a leftist organization of Mexican writers and artists that supported the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), and sailed to Spain.After returning to Mexico after the war, he wrote reviews for newspapers, composed for a wide range of clients and for movies, and taught at the Conservatory. For most of his adult life he struggled with alcoholism and it is what cut his life short. He contracted pneumonia as a result of his alcoholism and died on October 5, 1940. His remains were reinterred in the largest cemetery in Mexico, the Panteón de Dolores, and are located in a site within the cemetery called the "Rotunda of Illustrious Persons." Some of his siblings are also famous for their talents. His brother, Fermín (1901-1935), was a leading muralist painter, and his sister, Rosaura (c.1909-1996), was a noted dancer and actress.

One of Mexico's most celebrated musicians and composers of the early 20th century, Silvestre Revueltas (1899-1940), lived in this house from 1926 to 1928. Revueltas came to San Antonio to serve as concertmaster at the Aztec Theater and returned to Mexico in 1928 to become associate director and featured soloist with the Mexican Symphonic Orchestra in Mexico City. A historical marker describing his life is located in front of the house. Revueltas was a talented violinist and composed a variety of works including film scores. One of his most famous works is "Sensemayá," which he composted in 1938. The home continues to be a private residence.

Silvestre Revueltas House

Fort Sam Houston was established in the 1870s to serve as a base from which the U.S. Army could maintain the peace between settlers and Native Americans. The first commandant was Columbus Augur, veteran of the Civil War. John J. Pershing would garner national recognition for his pursuit of Mexican paramilitary leader Pancho Villa in 1916-1917. As a result, he was the clear choice to lead American forces in WWI.&nbsp;

Located on Fort Sam Houston, the Pershing House is a truly distinguished residence. It was built in 1881 in the late Victorian style to be the home for the commander (and family) of the fort, who is also known as the commandant. Although it has been updated over the years, it still retains much of its original architectural integrity. It is named after one of the military officers who lived here, General John J. Pershing, who would command the American Expeditionary Force in World War I. He would also be named General of the Armies, the highest military rank in the U.S. military. Numerous other military officers of significance lived here including Medal of Honor recipients. The house remains the residence of the fort's commanding officer. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Pershing 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.

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 House

Now the location of the Woman's Club of San Antonio, the David J. and May Bock Woodward House is an architecturally unique building in the neighborhood. Built in 1918 and designed in the Classical Revival style, it also exemplifies upper class living during the early 20th century. The Woodwards bought and renovated houses and sold them for profit. David passed away sometime before 1926, when May sold it to the Woman's Club. Although it has undergone some changes to suit the club's needs, the house is well preserved. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.

Woodward House

When Jay Adams and his wife, Mame Young, came to San Antonio in the late 1880s, the city was in the midst of an economic boom that would last into the early 20th century. The arrival of the railroad in 1877 sparked this period of growth and as a result, San Antonio's population increased and the city became an important trading center. A streetcar was also built by the late 1880s. This activity attracted wealthy newcomers who began building homes the Monte Vista neighborhood, which was then known as Laurel Heights. Real estate developers, including Jay Adams, played a key role in this period. They arrived in San Antonio from the West and Midwest where economic booms had died down in search of new investment opportunities. Adams, who was born in Iowa in 1862, moved to San Antonio from Denver where he had established his real estate business. He previously lived in Nebraska where he worked as a teacher and a clerk. He also met Mame there; they married in 1883. Adams first visited San Antonio in 1888 along with other investors and decided to permanently relocate in 1889. He and his brother bought an 18 acre tract and the next year, Adams and two partners bought another 18-acre property. Eventually, he acquired a total of 73 acres and called the property Laurel Heights. Adams built the house in 1893. He and Mame held many dances on the third floor ballroom. It does not appear they had children. Inside, the house features a grand oak staircase that rises to the third floor, eight fireplaces, nine-foot pocket doors, a circular first floor parlor, and leaded glass doors and windows. He and Mame lived in the house until 1898 and moved to a new house in the adjacent neighborhood he was developing. A series of prominent owners lived in the house including W.E. Moore and Dr. Frederick Combe. During World War II, the owners rented rooms to women from military bases. After the war, rooms were rented to students from area schools and colleges. In 1988, the house became a bed and breakfast and that appears to have operated until 1993. The house was sold in 2002 and again in 2010.

Real estate developer Jay Adams built this elegant Queen Anne-style home in 1893. One of the oldest houses in the Monte Vista neighborhood, it was designed by architects Solon McAdoo and Albert P. Woodley and features a rusticated limestone and wood exterior, covered porches, decorative wood shingles, a rounded corner tower, and an ornate front porch railing with griffins made of copper and tin alloy. The property also includes a two-story carriage house that also has a conical corner roof. The Adams House continues to be a private residence today.

Jay Adams House

This carriage house was constructed in 1890 for Daniel J. Sullivan, an Irish immigrant and Texas banker who funded many nineteenth-century cattle drives in San Antonio and South Texas. It included a horse barn and was located behind the main home on Sullivan's property. Following his death, the property was inherited by one of his daughters, Mary Elizabeth, who was married to Major General John Lincoln Clem. According to one anecdote about the property, when John Clem was only nine years old, he attempted to enlist in the Union Army. However, he was promptly turned away because he was too young. Instead, he unofficially joined the 22nd Michigan Infantry, with which he traveled to southwestern Tennessee. There, he participated in the Battle of Shiloh as a drummer, earning the moniker "the Drummer Boy of Shiloh."Eventually, the historic carriage house on the property of the Sullivan and Clem families was offered for sale to the San Antonio Botanical Garden. The plan was for the building to be preserved, but there was one condition: the carriage house would have to be moved to its new location in three months or less. Fortunately, the Conservation Society of San Antonio stepped up and offered to assist with funding and with the transportation of materials. Stonemasons were hired to completely disassemble the building brick by brick. Each limestone block was carefully cleaned, labeled, and transported to the new location. The carriage house was reassembled "stone by stone" on the grounds of the San Antonio Botanical Garden, close to the main entrance. A stone courtyard, walkways, and a staircase were added to the exterior, while lush gardens and trees were planted around the building to create the impression that the carriage house had always existed in this spot, seamlessly integrated with the landscape.After opening to the public for the first time in 1995, the historic carriage house continued to be used as the main entrance to the San Antonio Botanical Garden until 2018. At that time, it was converted into a restaurant through an adaptive reuse project. Today, it currently houses Jardin, a bistro-style restaurant offering Mediterranean cuisine prepared with fresh local ingredients in a farmhouse setting. The Carriage House has been described by the Botanical Garden as "a step back in history so real that you can almost hear the wooden wheels and horse hooves." Within the interior, even the original individual horse stalls have been preserved. In addition to the regular dining area, wooden tables have been placed in each stall, so that visitors can enjoy the rustic ambiance of dining in the historic stables. Also inside the Carriage House is a small gift shop filled with decorative garden-themed items and seasonal gifts.

Built for Daniel J. Sullivan, an Irish immigrant who served in the Texas Cavalry during the Civil War, the Sullivan Carriage House is located at the entrance to the San Antonio Botanical Garden. The limestone structure was designed by the English architect, Alfred Giles, in the Richardson Romanesque style. Following a restoration of the carriage house in 2021, a small bistro, Jardin, began to operate inside the updated space, offering cuisine sourced with fresh local ingredients. Seating is available in a main dining area and also at wooden tables within the individualized horse stalls that have been preserved inside this historic structure.

The Sullivan Carriage House & Jardin Restaurant

Built and dedicated&nbsp;in 1931, the National Shrine of the Little Flower was founded by a group of Disalced Carmelite Fathers. The Spanish friars chose the location of the worship site for its history of Mexican immigrants. They felt it would be a good place to evangelize and provide a quality house of worship to the community. The National Shrine of the Little Flower honors St. Therese and holds the distinction of being the first house of worship&nbsp;do so.&nbsp; The church as been called "the most beautiful church in San Antonio," featuring ornate hand-carvings throughout the&nbsp;structure, marble alters, and lovely stained glass windows. One of the most highly prized pieces of art housed within the church, however, is a&nbsp;grandiose painting measuring 7 feet tall and 10 feet wide of Saint Therese. It was this very painting, which was made by the saint's own blood sister Sr. Celine Martin, that was carried to the Vatican for the official&nbsp;canonization of Saint Therese in 1925. In 1999, a multi-million dollar restoration project was began on The National Shrine of the Little Flower.

Founded by Spanish clergy who traveled to San Antonio in 1926, the house of worship for Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Thérèse Church was constructed in the Art Deco style in 1931. The church building was dedicated to Saint Thérèse, and among the hand carved decor, marble altars, and exquisite stained glass there also exists a seven foot tall, ten foot wide painting of Saint Thérèse which was made by her own sister, Sr. Celine Martin; in 1925, the painting was carried to the Vatican for the canonization of St. Therese. Today, mass is held daily on site, and a community of Discalced Carmelite friars, who perform apostolic activities and teach on religious principles, reside in a monastery located adjacent to the Basilica; just across the street from the Basilica is Little Flower School and the Convent of Sisters of the Holy Spirit.

The Basilica of the Little Flower (Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Thérèse Church)

A young French priest established the Congregation of Divine Providence in Alsace, France in 1762. It grew during the next century and members eventually reached into the United States, arriving in Texas in December 1866. They were first sent to Austin to establish a school but the bishop of Texas, Claude Tubuis, instructed them to go to the town of Castroville instead (it is 30 miles west of San Antonio). Over the next twenty years, the Sisters had established 24 schools in the town and surrounding area. They decided to move to San Antonio in 1895, however, after the railroad bypassed Castroville. The mayor offered them 18 acres of land next to Elmendorf Lake as a gift on the condition they found a girls academy and improve the property within ten years. Upon looking over the property, the superior general of the Sisters, Mother Florence Walter, apparently declared: “This is the place. Someday, upon this land will stand a beautiful Gothic chapel with twin spires pointing up to the blue Texas sky.” Construction of the Our Lady of the Lake Academy, what would later become the Main Building, began in 1895. The Sisters began teaching at St. Joseph's School while the Academy was being built. The school grew in the coming years, prompting the construction of wings on each side of the building. By 1911, the Academy had grown so much that the school became a two-year college for women. It became a four-year college eight years later. While the college had grown significantly by 1920, it lacked a communal worship space large enough to accommodate all of the students, Sisters, and faculty. There were only chapels in the convent, Main Building, and the recently built Moye Hall. Mother Walter started a chapel building fund in 1911 and enough money, $200,000, had been raised by 1921 to begin construction. It was completed in 1923 but the stained glass windows were not all installed until 1928, and the bells were installed in 1924 and 1931. The chapel was officially dedicated on July 26, 1928.

Sacred Heart Chapel is the spiritual centerpiece of Our Lady of the Lake University, which the Sisters of Divine Providence (also known as the Congregation of Divine Providence) founded in 1895. Designed by leading local architect Leo Dielmann (1849-1923), it is a fine example of Late Gothic Revival architecture, featuring buttresses, lancet windows, cast-stone tracery, pinnacles, and a large bell tower that reaches a height of 193 feet. The chapel was built in 1923 and is located between and connected by corridors to the university's Main Building and the Sisters of Divine Convent. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2021.

Sacred Heart Chapel

From 1938 to 1963, Ethel Wilson Harris served as the park manager for the Mission San José, a state park which became a national historic site in 1941. Harris was the first woman in Texas to manage a state park, and she was one of the first women in the U.S. to supervise a national historic site. As a widow, she requested permission to move into a small apartment located within the mission, which allowed her to keep an eye on the property and prevent vandalism. Harris was also an artisan, selling her own handcrafted pottery and tile art at the mission's gristmill through a small business that she called Mission Crafts. She was also a patron of the arts, devoted to the revival and celebration of Mexican Arts and Crafts. During her life, she dedicated herself to the preservation of historic landmarks throughout San Antonio, and she oversaw the creation of several tile murals in the city. As founding member of the San Antonio Conservation Society, Harris later served as the organization's president.In 1937, Harris copyrighted a book of her artistic designs, including a full-blooming maguey (agave) plant to reflect her individual mark of craftsmanship. In 1939, she was appointed as the local technical director of the Arts and Crafts Division of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in San Antonio, where she worked with a team of sixty local artisans in the creation of decorative clay tiles. Although these clay tiles were not sold directly to the public, they were made available to various charitable organizations and civic associations within the city. While supervising Arts and Crafts projects for the WPA over the next two years, Harris contributed to the creation of several tiled murals, two of which are still visible along San Antonio's River Walk. During the same period, she also modified her own craftsman's mark, so that the maguey plant incorporated the WPA logo.Amidst her work for the WPA, Harris continued to serve as park manager for twenty-five years, and a residence was built for her in 1956, just outside the perimeter walls of the Mission San José. The home was designed by her son, Robert, in a Modernist style reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright's 'Usonian' designs. These were small, sparse one-floor homes with few rooms, usually without basements. However, the six-room stone and concrete house built for Harris incorporated high ceilings, extensive use of glass, 'flowing spaces,' clerestories to provide natural light, and a 'daylight basement.' At the front of the home is a wrought-iron gate from Oaxaca, Mexico. As reflected in her lifelong practice of pottery making and handcrafted tile art, Harris continued to promote traditional crafts, using her house as a showcase for her collection of Mexican Folk Art, along with her own creations. After retiring in 1977 from the business that she founded in the early 1930s, Harris continued to live at the property until her death in the 1980s. Her home was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.

Built in 1956, this was the home of Ethel Wilson Harris, an artisan, patron of the arts, and the first woman to manage a national historic site in Texas. The property was designed by her son, Robert, in the Modernist style. At the time of the home's construction, Harris was working as the park manager for the Mission San José, a position that she held from 1938 to 1963. For many years, she also sold her own handcrafted pottery and tile art in the granary building at the mission. During the 1930s, Harris oversaw tile art projects in the city through her appointment as the local technical director of the Arts and Crafts Division of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Her one-story stone residence was built within what is now the San Antonio Missions National Historic Park, operated by the National Park Service.

San Antonio

Edward Steves Homestead

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information