Francois P. Giraud (June 1, 1818 in

Charleston Charleston most commonly refers to: * Charleston, South Carolina * Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital * Charleston (dance) Charleston may also refer to: Places Australia * Charleston, South Australia Canada * Charleston, Newfoundlan ...

– May 8, 1877 in

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

), also known as Francis P. Giraud, was an American politician. He was mayor of the

Bexar County Bexar County ( or ; es, Béxar ) is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. It is in South Texas and its county seat is San Antonio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,009,324. Bexar County is included in the San Antonio–New Bra ...

city of

in the U.S. state of

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

Personal life

Giraud was born to French immigrants Francois and Adele Giraud in

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...

. The family moved to San Antonio c1847. He attended Maryland's

Mount St. Mary's University Mount St. Mary's University (The Mount) is a private Roman Catholic university in Emmitsburg, Maryland. It includes the largest Catholic seminary in the United States. The undergraduate programs are divided between the College of Liberal Arts, ...

and furthered his education in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, France. He was married to María Apolinaria Treviño.

Career

Giraud was the architect of Ursuline Academy, St. Mary's University and the reconstruction of the Cathedral of San Fernando. He was the first surveyor for the city of San Antonio and defined the boundaries for

San Pedro Springs Park San Pedro Springs Park is located in the Bexar County city of San Antonio in the U.S. state of Texas. Surrounding the source of the springs, the 46-acre park is the oldest in the state of Texas. It is the location of a Payaya Indian village known ...

in 1851. He also defined the boundaries for the

San Antonio Missions The San Antonio Missions are a Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League and the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. They are located in San Antonio, Texas, and are named for the Spanish missions around which the city was founded. ...

. A 19th century city surveyor book was found in 2011 that contained an 1849 plat map of the city drawn by Giraud. He was a San Antonio city alderman 1857 – 1858. He became

mayor of San Antonio The following is a list of mayors of San Antonio, Texas. San Antonio operates under a council–manager form of government.Kriston CappsWhy Julián Castro's Record as Mayor of San Antonio Doesn't Necessarily Tell Us Much About His Future at HUD ...

in 1872, succeeding the outgoing Mayor

Wilhelm Thielepape Wilhelm Carl August Thielepape (July 10, 1814 – August 7, 1904), was an architect, engineer, teacher, photographer, and lithographer. He was mayor of San Antonio, Texas, during part of the Reconstruction era, and later an attorney in Chicago ...

, and served in that capacity until 1875.

Death and legacy

Giraud died in San Antonio on May 8, 1877, and is buried at San Fernando Cemetery #1. His biography, ''F. Giraud and San Antonio'', was written by San Antonio artist and civic activist

Emily Edwards Emily Edwards (October 7, 1888– February 16, 1980) was a co-founder and first president of the San Antonio Conservation Society. She was an artist, historian and teacher, and a lifelong friend of Diego Rivera. She is remembered as being a key fi ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Giraud, Francois 1818 births 1877 deaths Mayors of San Antonio Politicians from Charleston, South Carolina 19th-century American architects Architects from Texas Architects from South Carolina American people of French descent American surveyors San Antonio City Council members Mount St. Mary's University alumni 19th-century American politicians

Personal life

Career

Death and legacy

See also

References