Charrería in San Antonio: a Mexican Tradition of Solidarity and Triumph

By Victoria Villaseñor – intern at the City of San Antonio’s Office of Historic Preservation, Living Heritage Division Situated between Mission San Jose and the San Antonio River resides the Asociación de Charros de San Antonio, a unique lens into Mexican-American history. Established in 1947, the Asociación can be seen as one of the earliest …

San Antonio’s Shotgun Houses

Common legend says shotgun houses are so-called because you can shoot a shotgun from the open front door of these narrow, single-story houses straight through the open back door without causing any damage. Scholars theorize that the building type originates in West African and its name is a corruption of either "to-gun" which means "place …

Dating through the Decades: 1930s

These date spots got their start in the 1930s, but you can still experience them today. San Antonio is home to plenty hidden gems for historic locations. These gems take on many forms ranging from historic landmarks, such as the Alamo and Spanish Missions, to businesses and homes that have served as building blocks for …

98 Years Old: The Elizondo Flower Shop

Meeting Olga Elizondo-Perez was one of the highlights of our time out in the city meeting with Legacy Business owners. Olga told us the origins of her family's flower business which turns 98 years old this year. Her parents built a shotgun house for the family on Castroville Road in the early 1920s. The location …

Butchers, Bakers and Candlestick Makers! San Antonio’s Legacy Business Program

Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) staff has spent the past few weeks photographing Legacy Businesses throughout the city as part of our Preservation Month celebration. We’ve had great fun learning about businesses that have been here, in some cases, over 100 years. Some fun facts we learned: did you know that Friedrich Air Conditioning, started …