Casa Navarro is a historic site 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= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

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 ...

, in the U.S. state of

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 ...

. The original house complex was the residence of Texas patriot

José Antonio Navarro José Antonio Navarro (February 27, 1795 – January 13, 1871) was a Texas statesman, revolutionary, rancher, and merchant. The son of Ángel Navarro and Josefa María Ruiz y Peña, he was born into a distinguished noble family at S ...

(1795–1871), a rancher, merchant, leading advocate for Tejano rights, and one of only two native-born Texans to sign the

Texas Declaration of Independence The Texas Declaration of Independence was the formal declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico in the Texas Revolution. It was adopted at the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836, and was forma ...

. Navarro first bought the property, about 1.5 acres, in 1832. The

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

caliche Caliche () is a sedimentary rock, a hardened natural cement of calcium carbonate that binds other materials—such as gravel, sand, clay, and silt. It occurs worldwide, in aridisol and mollisol soil orders—generally in arid or semiarid regions ...

block, and adobe structures were built c. 1832–1855, and Navarro moved onto the property soon after. The site is situated in the heart of old

, in what used to be a thriving Tejano neighborhood known as Laredito. The structures were acquired and restored by 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 ...

between 1960 and 1964, and the site was opened to the public in October 1964. The site was designated a Texas State Historic Landmark in 1962, and listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1972. On January 1, 2008, the house was transferred from the

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) is a Texas state agency that oversees and protects wildlife and their habitats. In addition, the agency is responsible for managing the state's parks and historical areas. Its mission is to manage ...

to the

Texas Historical Commission The Texas Historical Commission is an agency dedicated to historic preservation within the state of Texas. It administers the National Register of Historic Places for sites in Texas. The commission also identifies Recorded Texas Historic L ...

. It was designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

in 2016. Today, visitors can tour Navarro's one-story limestone house — a fine example of early-statehood domestic architecture — read copies of his writing and discuss questions of history with informed staff. There is also a two-story square store and office building, noted for its bold quoins, which anchor the edges of the building's walls. The detached adobe and caliche block kitchen is typical of early Texas architecture with front and rear porches.

References

External links

Casa Navarro State Historic Site website
{{Authority control Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas Houses completed in 1855 Texas state historic sites Historic house museums in Texas Mexican-American culture in San Antonio Museums in San Antonio Biographical museums in Texas Houses in San Antonio Museums established in 1964 Protected areas established in 1964 1964 establishments in Texas National Register of Historic Places in San Antonio Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks National Historic Landmarks in Texas National Register of Historic Places in Bexar County, Texas Tejano culture

See also

References

External links