Events and Announcements

 

Houston Street Interpretive Kiosks

Explore downtown Houston Street and learn about the architecture and history of this significant commercial corridor through a series of interpretive kiosks. Former public telephone kiosks have been adaptively reused by the City's Downtown Operations Department and the Office of Historic Preservation, in partnership with the General Services Administration Good Neighbor Program. The eight kiosks between N. Alamo and N. Santa Rosa Streets feature interpretive panels highlighting many of the historic structures along Houston Street. 

Downtown Houston Street contains many examples of San Antonio’s spectacular commercial architecture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  As San Antonio developed into the largest city in Texas by 1900, Houston Street was transformed from a muddy lane into the city’s major business corridor.  In the period roughly between 1880 and World War II, Houston Street experienced an unprecedented building boom which produced some of San Antonio’s most beautiful commercial structures.

An unveiling ceremony for the kiosks will take place on Wednesday, August 11th at 10:00 am at Kiosk No. 1 (at the northwest corner of E. Houston and N. Alamo Streets just off of Alamo Plaza).

 

 

Hays Street Bridge Opening - July 20th

The Hays Street Bridge on the city’s Eastside officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 20^th.  The bridge has been rehabilitated into a pedestrian and bicycle connector linking downtown to the Dignowity Hill Historic District and the Eastside.  The former railroad bridge was moved to its current location in 1910 to provide a vehicular crossing over the railroad tracks.  Since 1982 the bridge has been closed.  The rehabilitation of Hays Street Bridge incorporates benches, interpretive signage covering the history of the bridge, and a public art component along the new approach railings.  The bridge connects Hays Street between Austin and Cherry Streets on the near east side.  Take a stroll across the bridge for a spectacular view of downtown!

  

 

Historic Homeowner Fair a Great Success!

The second annual Office of Historic Preservation Historic Homeowner Fair held on Saturday, August 28^th at Municipal Auditorium was a great success with over 400 people in attendance.  Educational sessions for historic homeowners were offered covering such topics as historic window restoration, financing and incentives for historic preservation, choosing historically appropriate materials, sustainable building, landscaping in historic areas, and rehabbing historic interiors just to name a few. Exhibitors with a variety of historic preservation expertise were on hand to answer questions. Historic neighborhood associations, the Texas Historical Commission, San Antonio Conservation Society, Preservation Texas, and a number of City departments and other organizations were also present to provide material to historic homeowners.  Children’s activities were sponsored by students from Jefferson High School Architecture Program and staff members from The San Antonio Children’s Museum.

Thank you very much to all of our sponsors, exhibitors, and volunteers for making the event possible! 

View sessions that were presented by OHP staff:

Opening Plenary by Historic Preservation Officer

Office of Historic Preservation Purview and Process

Tax Incentives for Substantial Rehabilitation

Historic Homeowner Fair Exhibitors 

  

 

Historic Homeowner Fair Sponsors

  

 

Historical Home Research Presentation - October 2nd

Have you ever wanted to find out about the history of your house but weren’t sure how to start?  Join researcher and author Edna Campos Gravenhorst for a presentation on researching the history of your home.  Learn how to use historic records to find out information about your home’s historic past.  The session is free and open to the public.

When:  Saturday, October 2^nd  2:00 – 3:30 p.m.

Where: San Antonio Central Library Auditorium

For more information, contact the San Antonio Central Library at 207-2500.

Historical Home Research Presentation Flyer

 

OHP Newsletters

Keep up to date on preservation activities and events with our Office of Historic Preservation monthly newsletter.  If you have a preservation story or announcement you would like to have included in our newsletter, please contact Elizabeth Porterfield at 207-3327.

August 2010   July 2010   June 2010   Special Edition-Preservation Month 2010   April 2010   March 2010   February 2010   January 2010   December 2009   November 2009   October 2009   August 2009   July 2009   June 2009

 

Announcements

River North Potential Landmarks Office of Historic Preservation staff presented recommendations of potential individual landmarks and the potential Madison Square Historic District within the River North area at the Historic and Design Review Commission (HDRC) meeting on February 17th. Recommendations of landmark eligibility are based on public input and staff evaluation of historic integrity.  The HDRC meeting was a briefing session only, with no action taken by the commission.  The Designation Committee of the HDRC will evaluate the potential landmarks and district and will make a recommendation to the HDRC.  For additional information please contact Elizabeth Porterfield at 207-3327 or Anna Glover at 207-7925.  View River North Potential Landmarks presentation

Check out the self guided San Antonio  Neighborhood Tours

 

Highlights of Historic Preservation Month - May 2010

Historic Preservation Month in May was a great success, and thank you to everyone who participated in our events.  We started the month with a Kick-Off at the Spanish Governor’s Palace on May 4th.  The Mayor and several City Council Members advocated for preservation of our historic city, and Shanon Wasielewski, our Historic Preservation Officer, gave the “State of Historic Preservation Address.”  That evening, a Preservation Networking Event was held at San Antonio Museum of Art, with food provided by Chef Damien Watel, and an architectural tour of the historic brewery led by HDRC Commissioner Scott Carpenter.

The Downtown Architectural Features Scavenger Hunt was very popular and encouraged visitors and residents to explore downtown San Antonio.  The Hunt featured twenty architectural features on buildings, objects, and structures, between Houston, Soledad, Market, Commerce, and S. Alamo. The winner with the most correct answers was Sylvia Collins! 

We also participated in the national This Place Matters photo contest.  We held our own local contest for the event, and the winner was the 5^th grade class of Bonham Academy. Bonham Academy was constructed in 1889 and is located on S. St. Mary’s Street in the King William Historic District.  Runner-up was Mayor Castro’s photo at the entrance to HemisFair Park.

The Office of Historic Preservation offered three 5K Architectural Running tours covering Downtown, the new Museum Reach of the Riverwalk, and the King William and Lavaca Historic Districts.  We had a great turn-out for each run, and we plan to have additional runs and walks in the near future. 

The Lunch and Learn Lecture: “Think Like a Preservationist” was also well attended, with presentations by Senior Planner, Anna Glover, and San Antonio Conservation Society’s Properties Restoration Manager, Ron Bauml.

The first annual Amazing Preservation Race for Kids was held on Saturday, May 22^nd and a fun time was had by all!  Over 45 children solved clues and completed challenges in the King William neighborhood, while learning about history, basic architectural vocabulary, and the importance of historic preservation.  The Race ended at the Conservation Society’s Steves Homestead with refreshments, games, and prizes.  Thank you to all of our sponsors and to everyone who attended our events!

 

Strategic Historic Preservation Plan

The City Council, with a recommendation from the Historic and Design Review Commission, adopted the citywide Strategic Historic Preservation Plan on Thursday, August 20th, 2009.  The plan includes recommendations in six major categories:  planning, zoning, economic development, historic resources, incentives and education/advocacy. The purpose of this initiative is to create broad-based community consensus about historic preservation issues so that we are better equipped to make sound decisions about the preservation of our historic buildings, sites, and districts. The Strategic Preservation Plan provides concrete strategies to enhance the preservation program and capitalize on our unique historic resources that have a proven positive impact on economic development, heritage tourism, and quality of life. Now that the plan is adopted, the real work of implementation begins! 

• Strategic Historic Preservation Plan

 

National Recognition for San Antonio Preservation

San Antonio was nationally recognized in Preservation Magazine, the official magazine of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, for the restoration of Liz Llanas' home damaged by fire in the King William Historic District.  Check out the full story at the link below.

• "Out of the Ashes"