La Villita Historic Arts Village

Description

Located at 418 Villita Street on the south bank of the San Antonio River, http://goo.gl/maps/UdlnW La Villita was one of San Antonio's first neighborhoods. It was originally a settlement of primitive huts for the Spanish soldiers stationed at the Mission San Antonio Valero (the Alamo). After a flood in 1819, brick, stone and adobe houses replaced the earlier structures. In 1836, La Villita was the site of General Santa Anna's cannon line, in the Battle of the Alamo, and a map from early that year showed the village to be of considerable size. Late in the 19th century, European immigrants from Germany and France moved into the area. These pioneers became San Antonio's business leaders, bankers, educators, and craftsmen. The cultural mix that occurred at this time is best illustrated by the variety of architectural styles reflected in La Villita's buildings. The architecture portrays the evolution of buildings from palisado to Victorian Houses. In 1939, as ground broke on the San Antonio River Walk development, city fathers, led by Mayor Maury Maverick, acted to preserve this colorful part of San Antonio's history. Today, La Villita is a thriving art community that stands as a monument to San Antonio's past. La Villita has five interconnected plazas for outdoor gatherings such as wedding receptions, birthday parties, retirement celebrations and much more. Number of guests: the Cos House and patio, Maverick Plaza, O'Neil Ford Plaza, Plaza Juarez, and Plaza Nacional. Also