The Spanish Governor’s Palace in San Antonio never really was a palace. The adobe walls have stood for nearly three centuries as a lasting monument to Spanish colonial endeavors.
Maintained by the parks department since it was purchased by the city in 1929, the 10-room building is a reminder of a time when simple elegance was all there was on the frontier. Wandering through the sparsely furnished rooms, a visitor almost gets the feeling of invading someone’s private domain.
Built in 1722, the structure was originally the residence for the military commanders sent to oversee the state of Tejas from the Presidio de San Antonio de Bejar that included a mission. The fort covered much of the area of downtown San Antonio, and the main chapel was what we now call the Alamo (founded in 1718). Before Spanish colonial rule ended in 1821, 32 commanders lived in the palace.
The residence was considered the finest dwelling in San Antonio during the period compared to the mud-and-stick jacalas that comprised most of the settlement. The keystone above the front door bears the Hapsburg coat of arms as a sign of Spanish rule. The gleaming white adobe walls are 3 feet thick in the main part of the house. Mosaic tiles decorate the patio of the enclosed courtyard that is a tropical paradise with a large fountain as a centerpiece.
After the Spanish left, the building was a private residence, used-clothing store, a bar and restaurant, tailor’s shop, and schoolhouse. The San Antonio Conservation Society meticulously furnished the restored structure with antique pieces from the 1700s. A beautiful rosewood bed fills one of the bedrooms, and an antique desk occupies what would have been the commander’s office.
Along with period furnishings, glass cases display personal items from jewelry to brass stirrups worn by conquistadors. Many of the items were found on the site during restorations. The oven in the kitchen was carefully rebuilt in the style of the day with ovens that cooked the daily bread.
The Governor’s Palace is on the west side of downtown San Antonio facing the back of City Hall at 105 Plaza de Armas (Military Plaza). The site is open Monday-Saturday, 9am-5pm; Sunday 10am-5pm. Admission is $1.50 for adults and 75 cents for children. For information, call 210/224-0601.
Within walking distance from the Governor’s Palace is another site preserving San Antonio’s rich heritage at 228 S. Laredo St., the Casa Navarro State Historic Site. Built in 1848, the compound of three buildings was the home of Jose Antonio Navarro. A prominent merchant, rancher, and statesman, Navarro served Texas in three legislatures and was one of three Hispanic Texans to sign the Declaration of Independence from Mexico. Along with period furnishings and a history of the Navarro family contributions to Texas, the site has an excellent exhibit on adobe architecture. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department-run museum is open Wednesday-Sunday, 10am-4pm. Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for children.
Along with the Alamo there were four other missions built by the Spanish in the San Antonio area. Mission Nuestra Señora de la Concepción de Acuña, 807 Mission Rd., was built in 1755 and claims to be the oldest unrestored stone church in the U.S.
Known as the “Queen of the Missions,” Mission San José y San Miguel de Aguayo, 6539 San Jose Dr., includes the decorative “Rosa’s Window” and was built between 1768 and 1782. It is the most complete of the mission compounds.
Mission San Juan Capistrano, Graf Road off Mission Road, was established in 1731 and never completed. The small church is still in use and displays items from Spanish colonialism and Indian artifacts.
The southernmost of the missions, Mission San Francisco de la Espada (Espada Road) reached its peak in the 1740s. Once the center of a massive agriculture endeavor, the mission’s acequia still carry water from the river to the fields.
All of the missions, except the Alamo, are now maintained by the National Park Service. Admission is free, and the sites are open daily, 9am-6pm. For information, call 210/229-4770 or visit www.nps.gov/saan/home.htm.
633rd in a series. Day Trips, Vol. 2, a book of Day Trips 101-200, is available for $8.95, plus $3.05 for shipping, handling, and tax. Mail to: Day Trips, PO Box 33284, South Austin, TX 78704.
This article appears in July 25 • 2003.
