The Johann and Anna Heidgen House is located in 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 Brau ...

city of

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= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

. It is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places listings in Bexar County, Texas This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Bexar County, Texas. This is intended to be a complete list of properties and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Bexar County, Texas. There are 2 ...

. The structure was designated a

Recorded Texas Historic Landmark Recorded Texas Historic Landmark (RTHL) is a designation awarded by the Texas Historical Commission for historically and architecturally significant properties in the U.S. state of Texas. RTHL is a legal designation and the highest honor the st ...

in 2003. It is also known as the Heidgen-Zilker House. The house was built circa 1882 and has been used for a variety of purposes, including as a residence, as a youth organization facility, attorney's office, wedding venue, and at one time as a restaurant.

House details

The two-story rock house is constructed of 16-inch thick native limestone and local caliche blocks. The original structure was painted with a

lime wash Whitewash, or calcimine, kalsomine, calsomine, or lime paint is a type of paint made from slaked lime (calcium hydroxide, Ca(OH)2) or chalk calcium carbonate, (CaCO3), sometimes known as "whiting". Various other additives are sometimes used. ...

. A gabled roof and covered porches are two additional features. One perpendicular wall connects to a section of the 18th century Acequia Madre de Valero. That 1718 initial phase of a 45-mile acequia irrigation system was laid out among the early missions by the Spanish Franciscan priests and the Payaya people. This feature was a contributing factor in this house being placed on the National Register of Historic Place Listings.

Ownership history

German immigrant Johann Heidgen, a stonemason, built this house at 121 Star Street, three blocks northeast of the Alamo, circa 1882. He and his wife Anna Barbara moved to San Antonio in 1852. The couple had thirteen children, eight of whom lived to adulthood. The Heidgen family sold the house to Meta and F.A.Folkman in 1907, who in turn sold it to John Francis Krauser. Two years later, Krauser sold it to San Antonio businessman Charles A. Zilker and his wife Pearl Zilker. Because of the Zilker ownership, the house is sometimes known as the Heidgen-Zilker House. It was inherited by their children as part of a family trust. The Zilker heirs used it as rental property, rather than live in it themselves. The heirs donated the property to the

San Antonio Conservation Society The Conservation Society of San Antonio (legally incorporated as the San Antonio Conservation Society) is located in the Bexar County city of San Antonio in the U.S. state of Texas. Founding members were Emily Edwards, who became the organizati ...

(SACS) in 1968. SACS deeded the property and its preservation easement two years later to the Alamo Council of Camp Fire Girls and Boys in 1970. SACS supplemented the gift with a $7,000 restoration grant. That grant was in turn supplemented by an additional $35,000 grant from the non-profit Ewing Halsell Foundation. The architectural firm of Peterson and Williams designed the improvements, and the Mexico-based contractor was Mr. Lerma. The work included a new stairway and a new right-side front landing. A southern half brick wall was included in the restoration. Doors and windows were replaced, and mortar and stone work were repaired. A new chimney was built, and the interior of the house was completely redone. That particular Camp Fire council disbanded in 1987 and deeded the property back to SACS, who in turn sold it. After a succession of subsequent owners and a stint as a restaurant, the structure was bought by attorney T. Russell Noe in 2002, and is currently in use as his San Antonio office.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Heidgen Houses in San Antonio History of San Antonio National Register of Historic Places in San Antonio Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas Houses completed in 1882