The Spanish Governor's Palace is a historic

adobe Adobe (from arabic: الطوب Attub ; ) is a building material made from earth and organic materials. is Spanish for mudbrick. In some English-speaking regions of Spanish heritage, such as the Southwestern United States, the term is use ...

from the Spanish Texas period located in

Downtown San Antonio Downtown San Antonio is the central business district of San Antonio, Texas, and the urban core of Greater San Antonio, a metropolitan area with nearly 2.5 million people. Downtown San Antonio is encircled by Texas State Highway Loop 1604, 16 ...

. It is the last visible trace of the 18th-century colonial Presidio San Antonio de Béxar complex, and the only remaining example in Texas of an aristocratic 18th-century Spanish Colonial in−town residence. The

National Geographic Society The National Geographic Society, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations in the world. Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, natural sc ...

has named the landmark "the most beautiful building in San Antonio." The building was designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

in 1970. It is now owned by the city, and is open to the public as a museum.

History

The building was constructed in the early 18th century, planned as early as 1722 and completed in 1749. The keystone above the front entrance is marked with the coat-of-arms of Spanish King

Ferdinand VI Ferdinand VI (; 23 September 1713 – 10 August 1759), called the Learned (''el Prudente'') and the Just (''el Justo''), was King of Spain from 9 July 1746 until his death in 1759. He was the third ruler of the Spanish Bourbon dynasty. He was the ...

and the date 1749. The building was the residence and working offices of the local

presidio A presidio (''jail, fortification'') was a fortified base established by the Spanish Empire mainly between the 16th and 18th centuries in areas under their control or influence. The term is derived from the Latin word ''praesidium'' meaning ''pr ...

captain at first. Later, it became the home of the Spanish governors who lived in San Antonio. The building later became the capitol building of the Texas region of Spanish Texas in 1772. The Spanish built the Presidio San Antonio de Béxar to protect the area's missions, including the San Antonio de Valero Mission (The Alamo) and the missions in the present day San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, as well as the growing Spanish colony.

Description and location

The one-story masonry and

stucco Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and ...

structure features ten rooms, a grand

courtyard A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky. Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary a ...

and a

fountain A fountain, from the Latin "fons" ( genitive "fontis"), meaning source or spring, is a decorative reservoir used for discharging water. It is also a structure that jets water into the air for a decorative or dramatic effect. Fountains were o ...

, and is alleged to be haunted. The palace is located in between Market Square and the San Antonio River Walk near the current city hall. The address is 105 Plaza de Armas, San Antonio.

References

External links

Spanish Governor's Palace
– official web page of the Center City Development & Operations Dept.
Spanish Governor's Palace
– ''

Handbook of Texas Online The Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) is an American nonprofit educational and research organization dedicated to documenting the history of Texas. It was founded in Austin, Texas, United States, on March 2, 1897. In November 2008, the ...

'' {{Authority control Houses in San Antonio Historic house museums in Texas Museums in San Antonio Houses completed in 1749 Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas National Register of Historic Places in San Antonio National Historic Landmarks in Texas 1722 establishments in Texas 18th century in Texas Governor of Texas History of San Antonio Adobe buildings and structures Palaces in the United States Spanish Colonial architecture in Texas Former governors' mansions in the United States