Browse Exhibits (45 total)
Monken Complex
The Monken family and their descendants can trace their family history and heritage back to the early German immigrants into Texas in the 1840’s. They are to be commended for retaining one of the early German homesteads in Texas as well as much of the original land obtained by the early Monken’s.
The MONKEN house has been beautifully restored and incorporated into the Balcones Creek Ranch development in northwest Bexar County near the Kendall County line. Also included on the property is the former Monken barn. The retention of these historic structures are wonderful examples of how a developer can successfully integrate history into a new housing development instead of destroying old structures.
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Munk, Frederick
Frederick MUNK House
Originally a part of the Ygnacio Perez Spanish Colonial grant issued in 1808, the Frederick Munk structures and site is located on the Christopher Yoacum headright grant and partially on the Jose M. Pereida headright grant.
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Polley Mansion aka Whitehall
Joseph Henry Polley and his wife Mary Bailey Polley, the builders of this house, are Old 300’s, the first settlers under Stephen F. Austin’s colony in Texas during the 1820’s. Joseph H. Polley was born in Whitehall, New York, in 1795. After serving as a teamster in the War of 1812 he left home and headed west, with accordingly to family history, “a horse, a rifle, and 50 cents in his pocket.” Along the way west, he befriended Moses Austin and traveled with him to Texas in 1820. After Moses Austin died, Polley came to Texas with Stephen F. Austin as one of the first twenty-two immigrants to come to Austin's Colony in 1821. After living for a short time at San Felipe de Austin, Polley settled at Bell's Landing on the Brazos. In 1823 he married Mary Bailey, daughter of the celebrated James Britton “Brit” Bailey, another “Old 300.” It is worthy of note that the marriage ceremony was performed three times, first, by the local Alcalde, and second, by a visiting priest, in conformity with Mexican law. Thirty couples were married at the same time in the second ceremony. Just to make the knot secure a third ceremony was performed by a Protestant minister.
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Presnall - Watson House / Land Heritage Institute
Presnall-Watson Homestead Distric
- Mailing address and location of main gate: 1349 Neal Road, San Antonio, TX 78264-3531.
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The Presnall-Watson Homestead District includes six buildings, three contributing structures, and six significant archeological sites.
- The 188-acre Presnall-Watson Homestead District is part of the Land Heritage Institute (LHI) property, a 1,200-acre living land museum representing at least 10,000 years of occupancy by all the major cultural groups that shaped South Texas, including Native Americans, the Spanish, the Mexicans, and the Anglos as well as African-Americans.
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Ruempel, Philip - Farmstead
The Ruempels were among the first European American inhabitants in the area that now comprises Leon Valley, Helotes and other nearby communities. These families relied on their own ingenuity and resourcefulness although they accepted help from their neighbors when needed.
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Schumann - Scheel House
The land where the (Schumann - Scheel) home is located was part of a 1476 acre ranch, known as the Converse Ranch, which Major James Converse, Chief Superintendent and Engineer for the Galveston, Harrisburg & San Antonio Rail way Company and the founder of the City of Converse, had purchased in 1877. James Converse sold his ranch to Edward Hall in 1882.
Anton Otto Schumann, born near New Braunfels on 3 January 1875, purchased 120 acres of that land from Hall on January 11, 1900.
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Terrazas House (in ruins) - Tejeda Rd.
The site was initially intriguing as the masonry technique of the stone ruins harken to earlier colonial “found stone” construction and is composed almost entirely of irregular fragments of sandstone.
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Trueheart – de la Garza House and Ranch / The Goeth Ranch
The James L. Trueheart Ranch Complex, also known as the Trueheart-de la Garza Property, Casa Vieja, the Berry Ranch, or the Goeth Ranch has been recognized on the local, statewide and national levels for its significance as a historic farm and ranch in association with agriculture and conservation, a cultural landscape and as important vernacular architecture in the mid-19th century. Just as significant is its association with important historical persons such as James L. Trueheart and his father-in-law, Jose Antonio de la Garza, who were key figures in the history of the property, as well as members of the Goeth family, owners of the property during the early 20th century.
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Voelcker Farmstead Complex
The Voelcker Farmstead Historic District is the remaining vestige of what was once a large scale private dairying operation, last owned by Max and Minnie (Tomerlin) Voelcker.
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Von Plehwe, George Compound
The Von Plehwe Compound is comprised of three structures: two diminutive residences and a detatched kitchen building. Built using a mixture of timber and masonry construction techniques, the structures reflect vernacular building traditions of central Texas architecture of the mid-19th century.
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Featured Exhibit
Trueheart – de la Garza House and Ranch / The Goeth Ranch
The James L. Trueheart Ranch Complex, also known as the Trueheart-de la Garza Property, Casa Vieja, the Berry Ranch, or...