The San Antonio Municipal Auditorium was a building located at 100 Auditorium Circle,

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 ...

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 was built as a memorial to American soldiers killed in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. The San Antonio Municipal Auditorium was also used as a concert venue. The building was rebuilt and expanded into the

Tobin Center for the Performing Arts The Tobin Center for the Performing Arts is San Antonio's performing arts center. Located next to the San Antonio Riverwalk, it is named for Robert L. B. Tobin, one of the city's most prominent residents. History The 1738-seat venue was first b ...

in 2009-2014.

Construction

The limestone arena was built in 1926 and designed in

Spanish Colonial Revival The Spanish Colonial Revival Style ( es, Arquitectura neocolonial española) is an architectural stylistic movement arising in the early 20th century based on the Spanish Colonial architecture of the Spanish colonization of the Americas. In the ...

style by Atlee Ayres, his son Robert M. Ayres, and their associates George Willis and Emmett Jackson. In 1929, the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to su ...

awarded the architects a gold medal for the arena's design. It was added to 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 1981.

Features

Initially built to honor America's

military dead, the structure is part of the Veterans Memorial Plaza. The white marble ''War Mothers Memorial'' honoring the mothers whose sons who fought in World War I was erected at the corner of the arena in 1938 by the San Antonio Chapter No. 2 of American War Mothers. In front of the arena, ''Hill 881 South'' by sculptor Austin Deuel was dedicated to veterans of the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...

in 1986. The 1994 ''Night Watch'', aka ''Korean War Memorial'', by sculptor Jonas Perkins is across from the auditorium's front entrance. Near the ''Korean War Memorial'' is the 1995 ''50th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge'' plaque on a granite monument.

Architecture

The on which the auditorium is built was purchased from different entities, including a garden area from the Ursuline Academy. The 12-sided shape of the arena features carved stone and an arcade entrance complemented by a domed tower on each side. Red stone tile and metal are used on the roof. The original interior featured two-level horseshoe-shaped seating. The design on the asbestos auditorium stage curtain was the painting ''Founding of San Antonio'' by artist Hugo D. Pohl. The painting depicted the artist's vision of the 1718 founding of

Presidio San Antonio de Bexar A presidio ( en, jail, fortification) was a fortified base established by the Spanish Empire around between 16th and 18th centuries in areas in condition of their control or influence. The presidios of Spanish Philippines in particular, were cen ...

, and also included the

Battle of the Alamo The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna reclaimed the Alamo Mission near San Anto ...

defenders

James Bowie James Bowie ( ) ( – March 6, 1836) was a 19th-century American pioneer, slave smuggler and trader, and soldier who played a prominent role in the Texas Revolution. He was among the Americans who died at the Battle of the Alamo. Stories of h ...

, Davy Crockett, William B. Travis and

James Butler Bonham James Butler Bonham (February 20, 1807 – March 6, 1836) was a 19th-century American soldier who died at the Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution. He was a second cousin of William B. Travis and was a messenger of the Battle of the A ...

Restoration

At the time of the 1981 NRHP designation, the building stood vacant due a fire that had destroyed much of the interior in 1979 and rendered the asbestos curtain beyond repair. An April 1981 voter bond referendum approved $9.1 million for restoration. The renovated auditorium was rededicated in 1985.

References

{{Authority control National Register of Historic Places in San Antonio Atlee B. Ayres buildings Event venues on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas