Longing

Home at 213 Madison, King William Area, San Antonio, Texas

What makes some of us long for old houses...the secrets held within the walls...the simplicity of their former days...the fact that they will always need our loving touch?

Is it the lush softness of mature landscapes...old touches like ironwork...things made by superior human craft?

Could it be the inviting doors that swing wide and big front porches that pull us in, as if to give us welcoming hugs? What is it about an old house that brings on such longing?

Recent conversation:

Tall Husband: "You've got to stop falling in love with houses."

Me: "You should be glad it's only houses and not men."

Tall Husband: "Oh! And I am husband number...?"

Me: Embarrassed silence.

Historic King William Area

107 Madison, The Jackson House, 1894 Victorian. This is the B&B at which Tall Husband and I stayed. If you are tall like Tall Husband, do not reserve a second floor room...it's really the attic and Tall Husband has bumps on his head!

431 King William, Edward Steves, Jr. House, 1884

The carriage house behind the Edward Steves, Jr. House; added in 1980

509 King William, Edward Steves, Sr. Homestead, 1876; Style: Victorian French Second Empire. This Home is now owned by the San Antonio Conservation Society and is operated as a house museum.


504 King William, Albert Steves House; 1883


422 King William, Ike West Home, 1887


419 King William, Elias Edmonds House, 1875.


414 King William, Ellis-Meusebach House, 1884


410 King William, Josiah Pancoast Victorian Cottage, 1900


Unidentified Cottage in the King William Area


335 King William, Carl Wilhelm August Groose home, 1880


309 King William, Charles Hummel Home, 1884


226 King William, Ernst Altgelt Home, 1878


Texas Historical Commission's Medallion-a common sight in the King William Area


217 King William, Alexander Sartor, Jr. Home, 1882


208 King William, Louis Bergstrom Home, 1882

209 Washington, Mitchell-Oge House, 1857/1882. You can stay here...it's a B&B!


The Jack Pancoast Cottage


303 King William, Stevens/James House, 1881

A charming Victorian Home at 215 Beauregard

425 King William, George Kalteyer Home, 1892. Style: Richardson Romanesque; designed by architect James Riely Gordon, known for his Texas Courthouses.

401 King William, Norton/Polk/Mathis House, 1876. Italianate Victorian. This house is also known as Villa Finale, the first National Trust Historic Site in Texas. It is scheduled to be open to the public in November 2009.

If you are a fan of old ironwork, as we are, the King William Area will not disappoint you.

What's better than an old Victorian? Your own tiny Victorian playhouse in the back garden!

As promised, here are some of the wonderful old homes in the historic King William Area of San Antonio, Texas. This beautiful neighborhood is protected by national, state and city historic designations.

San Antonio is the most historic city in Texas and boasts a beautiful area of historic homes, the King William Area. Tall Husband and I, wanting to experience the history of this beautiful neighborhood, stayed in the historic Jackson House, a charming Victorian B&B on Madison Street.

Development of what is now the King William Area was begun in the 1850's on land that was originally farmland owned by the Mission San Antonio de Valero (the Alamo). The majority of families who built their fine home here were German immigrants, thus the main street and later the area was named for Kaiser Wilhelm I of Prussia. In 1968 the King William Historic District was created as the first historic district in Texas.

To enjoy a walking tour of the King William Area, I suggest that you use King William Area-a Walking Tour, a brochure from the San Antonio Conservation Society.

So, enjoy these photos of some of King William Area's historic homes, as Tall Husband and I braved three-digit (Fahrenheit) Texas heat to shoot them.

Click on photos to enlarge.

Porsche Cayman: Cure for New-Car Fever

2009 Porsche Cayman

We are back from our road trip. We drove to San Antonio, Texas to trade Tall Husband's car for this hot little number. Here she sits on the street in the historic King William Area of San Antonio. This chic red beauty is an effective cure for New-Car Fever.

Note: See that historic little limestone house in the background? Later, I'll post about San Antonio's King William Area with it's historic jewels. Now I've got old house fever.