| King William Historic District tips and photos posted by real travelers and San Antonio locals.
205 E. Guenther
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The King William district was quite an elegant neighborhood where the movers and shakers of the period lived. Successful businessmen who became wealthy from investing and retailing, built lavish homes in this district. Most had come from Germany and had constructed their 'castles' in the mid-1800's.
As we explored King William Street, we saw that each house oozed refinement and affluence from the moment one stepped up to its ornate fencing. (To see more, please go to my travelogue.)
The Guenther House and Steves Homestead are opened for tour, but most are private residences. A walking tour guide is available at the visitor's center in town or at the Anton Wulff house at 107 King William street.
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If you enjoy walking around a residential district of historic homes take a trolley to the historic King William Area. Early German immigrants settled this area, and there are many beautiful homes here dating from the late 1800 and early 1900's. You may obtain a walking-tour brochure from the Conservation Society at the Wulff House at 107 King William Street. This brochure contains a map of the area as well as photos, addresses, and information about many of the homes in the area. The home in the main photo belonged to George Kalteyer, a prominent local druggist. The house, built in 1892, was designed by architect James Riely Gordon. The second photo shows the Carl Wilhelm August Groos House which was designed in 1880 by Alfred Giles for one of the founding bankers of the Groos National Bank. This is an example of Italian Villa Style. The home is made of native limestone with cast iron columns. The third photo is a home built on what had at one time been the former side yard and tennis court of the Groos house. Built in the 1940s this home recalls the Art Modern style of the era. Leave a Comment Phone: 210-224-6163Directions: From East Guenther along King William Street, then turn back along Washington.
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the king william historic district is located about 1/2 mile south of the river walk area. the historic district is bordered by durango street to the north, alamo to the east, guenther to the south, and the san antonio river to the west. the king william historic district is a nice area to walk around and see historic homes. the guenther house and the steves homestead museum are open to the public. a great place to visit for those interested in architecture.
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The King William Area provides another nice place to take a stroll. A helpful walking tour guide is available for the 25 block area located not too far from downtown. In the 1880s, this area was the most fashionable living area for the San Antonio's wealthy. The homes are beautifully restored - well worth a look if you have a couple of hours.
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The Anton Wulff House which was built of local limestone in about 1870. Anton Wulff came to Texas from Germany in 1848 and became a prosperous San Antonio merchant. The house was built to accommodate his wife and 11 children. In 1902, the house was sold to Arthur Guenther, owner of the Liberty Flour Mill.
Today it is the home of the San Antonio Conservation Society. Leave a Comment
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This is a 25 block area which really shows off some of San Antonio's wonderful Victorian homes and gardens. This area was originally settled by prominent German merchants in the late 19th century and was zoned as the States first historical district.
The Guenther House was built by Carl Hilmar Guenther, founder of Pioneer Flour Mills in 1859. The house has been restored by the company as a museum, restaurant and retail store. (open Mon-Sat).
The art nouveau style restaurant is downstairs and has a Chinese influence from Guenther's trip through China. They serve lunch and dinner. Leave a Comment
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We spent part of an afternoon walking around the King William historic district, an area filled with gorgeous old mansions in many different architectural styles-Greek Revival, Victorian, and Italianate. We walked in the hot, hot, hot sun from our hotel to this area, a better way to get over there in the extreme heat would have been the blue line streetcar which has stops in the King William historic district.
We started at the Guenther House which houses a restaurant, gift shop and small museum and then wandered down King William Street and picked up a map at the only other home open on a regular basis, the Steves Homestead Museum. You can download the same map %L[
http://www.saconservation.org/tours/sitevisits_kingwilliam.htm]here.
King William Street and the historic district are named after King Wilhelm I of Prussia. The early settlers here were German immigrants including Carl Guenther who built the nearby Pioneer Flour Mill on the San Antonio River.
Some of my favorite mansions on the walking tour:
Picture 1-George Kalteyer House, 425 King William, built 1892 for George Kalteyer, a druggist
Picture 2-Steves Homestead, 509 King William, built 1876 for Edward Steves Sr., a lumber businessman Leave a Comment
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It cost $6 to tour the Edward Steves Homestead. It was intersting to learn about the Steves family and about the King William district.
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This old neighborhood of stately, Victorian homes is comparable to many others around the U.S. It was originally settled by German-American newcomers. Local residents don't like tour buses to come through. With a special permit, they can drop off and pick up tourists here. But you can easily tour this area on foot. And it's a fairly short walk from downtown. Leave a Comment Phone: 210-207-7378Directions: South of downtown. Best bet is to hike down the river, past the River Walk, heading south, until you see the footbridge going over the river. Then climb up the stairs, turn left, and it's right there. For bus service, call the numbers below.Website: http://www.guentherhouse.com/ Other Contact: 210-207-7379
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