San Antonio City Hall [Cover]
Name/Title
San Antonio City Hall [Cover]Description
Official cover for the “MAYOR’S OFFICE / SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS” addressed to the “Hon.Commissioner’s Court, / Bexar County, Court House, City.” Postmarked "SAN ANTONIO / OCT 12 1894 / TEX."Context
San Antonio City Hall is situated in the center of Military Plaza (Plaza de Armas). The plaza has had a long history as the seat of government. Moses Austin came here in 1820 seeking permission from the Spanish governor to settle Anglo-American colonists in Texas. The Italianate Renaissance Revival style building, designed by Otto Kramer, a prominent architect, originally a three-story design, featured a central dome and corner spires. The basement originally served as the city jail, while the first floor (where the Mayor's office is situated today) originally housed the Police Department and a courtroom. This new City Hall put an end to the open air market, the "Chili Queens" and the rowdy activities of the cowboys, cattlemen and gamblers who frequented the plaza outside the early Old Spanish Governor's Palace and "Bat Cave" jailhouse.Category
The Handbook of Texas