The Spanish Governor's Palace is a historic

adobe Adobe ( ; ) 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 used to refer to any kind of e ...

from the Spanish Texas period located in Downtown San Antonio. 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 has named the landmark "the most beautiful building in San Antonio." The building was designated a National Historic Landmark 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 and the date 1749. The building was the residence and working offices of the local presidio 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

Spanish Governor's Palace July 2017 14 (garden)

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 a ...

structure features ten rooms, a grand courtyard and a fountain, 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 Military Plaza, 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 ''Handbook of Texas'' is a comprehensive encyclopedia An encyclopedia (American English) or encyclopædia (British English) is a reference work or compendium providing summaries of knowledge either general or special to a particular ...

'' {{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