Edward Steves Homestead

Last updated

Eduard Steves Homestead
Edward steves homestead.jpg
Steves House in 2012
Relief map of Texas.png
Red pog.svg
Eduard Steves Homestead
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red pog.svg
Eduard Steves Homestead
Location509 King William St.,
San Antonio, Texas
Coordinates 29°24′46″N98°29′43″W / 29.41278°N 98.49528°W / 29.41278; -98.49528
Built1877 (1877)
Architect Alfred Giles
Architectural style Second French Empire
Website Steves Homestead – House Museum
Part of King William Historic District (ID72001349 [1] )
RTHL No. 5117, 15493
Significant dates
Designated CPJanuary 20, 1972
Designated RTHL1970

The Edward Steves Homestead is located in the Bexar County city of San Antonio in the U.S. state of Texas. It was designed by architect Alfred Giles and designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. The main house was donated to the San Antonio Conservation Society in 1952. The organization completely restored the main house as a museum, and now conducts daily tours. The complete homestead property consists of four individual structures: the main house museum, the carriage house, the river house, and the servants' quarters. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Bexar County, Texas, as a contributing structure of the King William Historic District. [2]

Contents

Homestead property

Alfred Giles, as an employ of John H. Kampmann, is credited with designing the main house. Locally quarried limestone was used in construction of the four-bedroom house. It was completed in 1877 for $15,000. [3] In 1970, the house was listed as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. The house features a mansard roof and 13-inch-thick exterior walls. [4] It was fairly modern for its time, with a telephone line, electric lighting and running water. The parlor doors in the house featured American-made etched glass panels. [5]

The main house at the homestead was deeded to the San Antonio Conservation Society (SACS) in 1952 by the granddaughter of Edward Steves, Edna Steves Vaughan, and her husband Curtis Vaughan. SACS maintains the home as a museum and conducts daily tours. [6] When SACS first approached Vaughan about purchasing the house, Vaughan offered to donate the house with the stipulation that the then-current residents be retained as caretakers. The grounds, exterior and interior of the French Second Empire style house were restored in 1954 as a museum with period furniture. [7] With much of the original furniture gone, the Steves family donated many of their own pieces for the restoration. Among the pieces added in the restoration was a mosaic table featuring St. Peter's Square in Vatican City. [5] When SACS did the restoration, Yale University donated an antique 1857 Chickering and Sons grand piano. [7]

The property contains three buildings in addition to the main house. The carriage house predated the main house and all other structures on the property. Built in 1875, the frame and stone carriage house was restored in 1976–77. [8] The servants quarters was erected in 1877 and restored in 1983–84. [9] The one-story brick structure known as the river house once contained San Antonio's first natatorium. When SACS restored the homestead's properties, they covered the river house pool with flooring and began using the structure for their activities. [10]

Edward Steves

Edward Steves (1829–90) was a San Antonio city alderman who had relocated to Texas from his native Germany. He and his wife Johanna maintained a family home on rural acreage in Kendall County. He ran the successful Steves Lumber Company [11] in San Antonio from 1866 to 1877. Steves was a civic leader in the San Antonio business community, serving on the Board of Trade, the Volunteer Fire Company No. 2 and the Fair Association. He was active in the city's German community organizations, such as the Schuetzen Verein, the Turnverein and the Casino Club. [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bexar County Courthouse</span> United States historic place

The Bexar County Courthouse is a historic building in downtown San Antonio, Texas, USA.

The Edward H. White II Museum of Aerospace Medicine was a museum of the United States Air Force and was located in Hangar 9 at Brooks Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. Brooks Air Force Base closed in 2011 under Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) procedures, and the museum closed at the same time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfred Giles (architect)</span> American architect

Alfred Giles was a British architect who emigrated to the United States in 1873 at the age of 20. Many of the private homes and public buildings designed by Giles are on the National Register of Historic Places and have been designated Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks. Based in San Antonio, his buildings can be found predominantly in south Texas and northern Mexico. Giles is credited with "a profound influence on architecture in San Antonio."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carl Wilhelm August Groos House (San Antonio)</span> Historic house in Texas, United States

The Carl Wilhelm August Groos House is located in the Bexar County city of San Antonio in the U.S. state of Texas. It was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1977. Designed by Alfred Giles in 1880, the building contractor was John H. Kampmann. Giles used a Victorian Gothic Revival on this limestone home. Groos had immigrated from Germany to Texas in 1848, at which time he and his brothers started a freighting firm. In 1871, he built the Carl W. A. Groos House in New Braunfels. In 1872, he and his family settled in San Antonio. Groos married Hulda Amalie Moureau and became a founding member of the Groos National Bank. In 1880, Groos hired Giles to build his San Antonio home. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Bexar County, Texas as a contributing structure of the King William Historic District. Groos died in 1893. In 1957, the house was purchased by the San Antonio Council of the Girl Scouts of the USA. The Girl Scouts sold the home to Charles Butt. It has been restored and is in private ownership.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casa Navarro</span> Historic site in San Antonio, Texas, USA

Casa Navarro is a historic site in San Antonio, Bexar County, in the U.S. state of Texas. The original house complex was the residence of Texas patriot José Antonio Navarro (1795–1871), a rancher, merchant, leading advocate for Tejano rights, and one of only two native-born Texans to sign the Texas Declaration of Independence. Navarro first bought the property, about 1.5 acres, in 1832. The limestone, caliche block, and adobe structures were built c. 1832–1855, and Navarro moved onto the property soon after.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Antonio Conservation Society</span> Nonprofit organization in Texas, U.S.

The Conservation Society of San Antonio is located in the Bexar County city of San Antonio in the U.S. state of Texas. Founding members were Emily Edwards, who became the organization's first president, and Rena Maverick Green. The organization was formed on March 22, 1924, and officially incorporated on July 8, 1925. The Society is currently headquartered in the Anton Wulff House, which they saved from destruction in 1974. The home was built 1869–1870 by German immigrant Anton Wulff, who became the city's first Park Commissioner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acequia Park</span>

Acequia Park is located in the city of San Antonio in the U.S. state of Texas. There are picnic tables and restrooms, but alcohol is not allowed in the park. The origins of the park date back to Spanish missionaries, who worked with mission Indians to create a water system sourced by the San Antonio River. The San Antonio Conservation Society (SACS) purchased much of this acreage in 1957 to preserve the area's environment. Because the San Antonio River Authority planned to reconfigure the river channel, SACS joined local land owners in filing a successful water rights and water flow lawsuit against the Authority. In 1975, SACS deeded the property to the City of San Antonio with the stipulation that it be used as a public park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeremiah Dashiell House</span> Historic house in Texas, United States

The Jeremiah Dashiell House is located in the Bexar County city of San Antonio in the U.S. state of Texas. Also known as Casa Villita, it was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark under that name in 1962. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Bexar County, Texas as a contributing structure of the La Villita Historic District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otto Bombach House</span> Historic house in Texas, United States

The Otto Bombach House is a contributing structure in the La Villita Historic District of the Bexar County city of San Antonio in the U.S. state of Texas. The one-and-two-story native limestone structure was built by German immigrant Bombach in the mid-19th century. It was acquired and restored by the San Antonio Conservation Society (SACS), which still owns the property. Over the decades, SACS has leased the property to a variety of tenants, including the San Antonio Press Club. Currently, the building houses the Little Rhein Steak House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anton Wulff House</span> Historic house in Texas, United States

The Anton Wulff House is located in the San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas. The house has been designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark; and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Bexar County, Texas (NRHP). Wulff House was the headquarters of the San Antonio Conservation Society from 1975 to 2022. The original occupant who commissioned its construction was German immigrant and businessman Anton Wulff. He was a city alderman, San Antonio's first park commissioner, and the man who designed the layout of the city's Alamo Plaza.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yturri–Edmunds Historic Site</span> Historic house in Texas, United States

The Yturri–Edmunds Historic Site is an historic site in San Antonio, Texas. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Bexar County, Texas. The homestead and mill were designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stevens Building (San Antonio, Texas)</span> United States historic place

The Stevens Building is located in the Bexar County city of San Antonio in the U.S. state of Texas. Completed in 1891, architect James Riely Gordon designed the building for local businessman John J. Stevens. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Bexar County, Texas. The structure was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Staacke Brothers Building</span> United States historic place

The Staacke Brothers Building is located in the Bexar County city of San Antonio in the U.S. state of Texas. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Bexar County, Texas. The structure was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acequia Madre de Valero (San Antonio)</span> United States historic place

Acequia Madre de Valero is an 18th-century agricultural irrigation canal built by the Spanish and located in the Bexar County city of San Antonio in the U.S. state of Texas. When Martín de Alarcón founded San Antonio for Spain by establishing San Antonio de Valero Mission in 1718, Franciscan priest Antonio de Olivares and the Payaya and Pastia peoples, dug Acequia Madre de Valero by hand. It was vital to the missions to be able to divert and control water from the San Antonio River, in order to grow crops and to supply water to the people in the area. This particular acequia was the beginning of a much wider irrigation system. Acequia Madre de Valero ran from the area currently known as Brackenridge Park southward to what is now Hemisfair and South Alamo Street. Part of it that is not viewable by the public runs beneath the Menger Hotel. The acequia was restored in 1968 and that same year was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johann and Anna Heidgen House</span> Historic house in Texas, United States

The Johann and Anna Heidgen House is located in the Bexar County city of San Antonio in the U.S. state of Texas. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Bexar County, Texas. The structure was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 2003. It is also known as the Heidgen-Zilker House. The house was built circa 1882 and has been used for a variety of purposes, including as a residence, as a youth organization facility, and at one time as a restaurant. It currently serves as the office of a San Antonio attorney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David J. and May Bock Woodward House</span> Historic house in Texas, United States

The David J. and May Bock Woodward House is located in the Alta Vista district of the Bexar County city of San Antonio in the U.S. state of Texas. It was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1994. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Bexar County, Texas on February 16, 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norton–Polk–Mathis House</span> Historic house in Texas, United States

The Norton–Polk–Mathis House, also known Villa Finale, is a historic house in San Antonio, Texas, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vaughan Homestead</span> Historic house in Maine, United States

Vaughan Woods & Historic Homestead is a non-profit nature preserve and historic house museum in Hallowell, Maine. The trails of Vaughan Woods are open to the public daily from dawn to dusk. They may be accessed via two designated trailhead and parking areas. The Hallowell trailhead does not have a street address, but is easily located at the corner of Litchfield Road and Middle Street. The Farmingdale trailhead is behind the Hall-Dale High School tennis courts at 97 Maple Street. Access to the Homestead and gardens is restricted unless a public program is in session.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hot Wells (San Antonio, Texas)</span>

Hot Wells is the site of a cultural historical park in San Antonio, Texas. The park complements Texas' only World Heritage Site—the nearby San Antonio Missions National Historical Park—and the Mission Reach of the San Antonio River Walk. The park is located on the east side of the San Antonio River, directly across South Presa Street from the San Antonio State Hospital, along the tracks of the Southern Pacific Railway and within sight of Mission San José across the river. Prior to the arrival of the Spanish, the land was originally inhabited by Coahuiltecan peoples.

The King William Historic District of San Antonio, Texas was listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Bexar County, Texas on January 20, 1972. The area was originally used as farm acreage by the Spanish priests of the Misión San Antonio de Valero, and eventually parceled off for the local indigenous peoples of the area. In addition to residential homes, the district also includes the King William Park and Bandstand originally built in 1892 on the arsenal grounds, and later moved to its current location. Other features are the Upper Mill Park, the King William River Walk, and the Johnson Street pedestrian bridge.

References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  2. "King William Historic District". Texas Historical Commission. Retrieved September 19, 2012.
  3. Everett, Donald E. "Edward Steves Homestead". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  4. "RTHL Edward Steves Homestead". Texas Historical Association. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  5. 1 2 Skryczak, Witold (December 10, 1995). "Grand homes fit for King William area of San Antonio". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  6. "Steves Museum". SACS. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  7. 1 2 Fisher, Lewis F. (1996). Saving San Antonio: The Precarious Preservation of a Heritage. Texas Tech University Press. pp. 250–253. ISBN   978-0-89672-372-6.
  8. "Steves Carriage House". SACS. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  9. "Steves Servant Quarters". SACS. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  10. "Natatorium". SACS. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  11. Permenter, Paris; Bigley, John (2008). Insiders' Guide to San Antonio. Insider's Guide. p. 131. ISBN   978-0-7627-4787-0.
  12. Everett, Donald E. "Edward Steves". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved September 17, 2012.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Edward Steves House at Wikimedia Commons