The O. Henry House Museum is a historic house museum located in San Antonio, Texas. It is named for the American writer,

William Sydney Porter William Sydney Porter (September 11, 1862 – June 5, 1910), better known by his pen name O. Henry, was an American writer known primarily for his short stories, though he also wrote poetry and non-fiction. His works include "The Gift of the M ...

, better known by his pen name O. Henry, who lived in the house in 1885.

History

The structure that became the O. Henry House museum was initially built by John Kush, a German settler in 1855. The house, built in

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 ...

brick, was originally located at 904 South Presa Street. William Sydney Porter, better known as O. Henry, lived in San Antonio from 1883 to 1885 after being accused of embezzlement at his job at a bank in Austin.Danilov, Victor J.''Famous Americans: A Directory of Museums, Historic Sites, and Memorials''. Scarecrow Press, 2013: 48. In San Antonio, he founded a humorous magazine he named ''Rolling Stone''. Porter rented this two-room house for $6 a month. In 1959, the San Antonio Conservation Society, working with both the

Lone Star Brewing Company The Lone Star Brewery, built in 1884, was the first large mechanized brewery in Texas. Adolphus Busch, of Anheuser-Busch, founded it along with a group of San Antonio businessmen. The castle-like building which was once its brewery now houses ...

and the descendants of John Kush, the original owner, purchased the home for a symbolic one dollar. This included the responsibility of moving the home within 60 days to save it from demolition. It was moved to the location of the Lone Star Brewing Company where it was part of the Buckhorn Museum collection until the breweries closure in 1997. In 1998, David Carter and the MLP partnership moved the house once more, this time to its present location at the corner of Dolorosa and Laredo Street in Downtown San Antonio. After restoration, the home as a museum in 1999. It contains period furniture and items related to Porter's life and writings.

Works written here

While living here, Porter wrote several short stories set in San Antonio. These included "Fog in Santone", "The Higher Abdication", and "Hygeia at the Solito".

References

External links

History of the Home and Porter's Time in San Antonio
{{authority control Museums in San Antonio Houses in San Antonio Historic house museums in Texas O. Henry Houses completed in 1855 1855 establishments in Texas Museums established in 1959 1959 establishments in Texas Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks Literary museums in the United States Historic district contributing properties in Texas

History

Works written here

See also

References

External links