The Casino Club is a historic German-American social club in

San Antonio, Texas ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

. It was established in 1854 with gatherings of 20 German-Americans and chartered in 1857 with 106 members. The club debuted a building known as Casino Hall on Marlet Street in 1858, which was designed by future mayor Wilhelm Thielepape. It merged with the San Antonio Club, a literary society, in 1881. In 1923, during

prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic ...

, the club's building was sold. In 1927 a new building for the club was completed. It features a distinctive tiered dome. Thomas Gilcrease purchased the building in 1942 and it became known as the Gilcrease Building. In the 1940s Gilcrease relocated his offices and art collection to Tulsa. The building was mostly empty from 1950 until 1970. It was converted to an apartment building and its basement renovated for use as a restaurant. It is a Texas Historical Landmark. The community organized a German-English School. Prominent members of the club included Conrad Alexander Goeth,

Theodor Rudolph Hertzberg Theodor Rudolph Hertzberg (June 6, 1817 – March 18, 1903) was a businessman, editor, publisher and state legislator in Texas. He served in the state senate during the contentious Twelfth Texas Legislature. He became an immigration commissioner a ...

, and Albert and Ernst Steves. Albert Steves served as Mayor Pro Tem of San Antonio. Goeth was a lawyer and civic leader from a prominent family. The Steves family lived in Comfort before settling in San Antonio. The original Casino Hall building was torn down in 1961. Its site is now a park.

Gallery

File:San Antonio Casino Club.jpg, Side view Casino-club2016-2.jpg, Entrance File:Casino-club2013-3.jpeg, At night File:San Antonio River Walk July 2017 59 (Casino Club Building).jpg, View from the

San Antonio River Walk The San Antonio River Walk is a city park and special-case pedestrian street in San Antonio, Texas, one level down from the automobile street. The River Walk winds and loops under bridges as two parallel sidewalks lined with restaurants and shop ...

References

German-American culture in Texas 1854 establishments in Texas Organizations based in San Antonio {{Texas-struct-stub