Gone But Not Forgotten in San Antonio! - Part I (Houston: rank, homestead)

[wCat]

Someone mentioned Satels men's store on Broadway. That was at one time the Alamo Heights Post Office. Prior to that location, the post office was in the corner of that shopping center where the Lion And Rose Pub (and before that "La Fonda".)

Also....Broadway National Bank was first located upstairs from the Broadway 50/50 Diner.

[Willsatx]

Originally Posted by wCat

Someone mentioned Satels men's store on Broadway. That was at one time the Alamo Heights Post Office. Prior to that location, the post office was in the corner of that shopping center where the Lion And Rose Pub (and before that "La Fonda".)

Also....Broadway National Bank was first located upstairs from the Broadway 50/50 Diner.

I remember the Winn's in that shopping center.

[wCat]

Originally Posted by Primo

I don't know the history, but that can be a project for GWhopper. There is an Orsinger Mansion. It is behind Orsinger Park off of Heubner. You can see it from Huebner..it is old limestone with a tin roof. From what I understand the decendants still live there.

Speaking of old mansions. There are several in my neighbor that I really don't know the history. These would be the on the corner of Callaghan and Stonehaven. This is where Raul Jimenez' estate overlooks the city from a hill top (8910 callaghan). It looks very old, but it could have been build to look like an old spanish mission. Across Callaghan are 2 old mansions on several acres, these now serve as a Catholic nun convent...I know the nuns from St. Mathews live there, maybe other churches. Directly behind those 2 is a new mansion that was build by the founder of Church's Fried Chicken (3119 Stonehaven). Also on 8823 Callaghan..this was the Nowatny Home from Nowwatny Taxidermy. It is not a huge house, but very old and it has a lot of history, there was once an article in the paper about him when he died. The estate is surrounded by a small rock wall...but the old man was a rock hound and he collected rocks from all over the world..and the is wall is built from all of his rock collection.
I really dont know the history of these homes...you can look them up on zillow.com Let me know if anyone knows anything about them?

Gosh...there are some great old houses in that area. I didn't know the founder of Churches was from SA. Is that the house on Stonhaven that has a lake or large pond? I've always wondered about the history of some of those homes and how old they are. I had one client in that area with quite a bit of acerage. It was around the corner off Vance Jackson. The owner said that it was once part of the Vance estate, but I don't have any details about that.

Where is the property that is a convent? I remember Ursaline Academy being there on Vance Jackson years ago....which is now Cornerstone. Are any of the nuns you mentioned from the Ursaline Academy?

You know....there is also a property on the other side of I-10....at Tupelo and Mockingbird right near Lowes. It is/was a convent. The city has just acquired that property, or is in the process of acquiring it and it's going to be turned into a park/lake and multi-use facility. The huge house will remain. I'll have to see if I can find the details on the plans. If I'm not fast enough, Sapphire will probably locate the info. I've never seen anyone so resourceful with finding info on the internet and other databases! Hey Sapph ....can ya help us out??

BTW - this last property is just down the road from where Midget Mansion used to be.

[GWhopper]

Originally Posted by GJTexas

I have been away awhile and have just got back to these boards. Someone asked for me to the area around Churchill way back when. When I was going to school at Churchill the only apartments were the Churchill apartments just north of the school. Toward the end of my time at the school they started putting in all the apartments on the south side of churchill. These then blocked the view of the school from West Ave so that you could only see the school crest on top of the building.

The strip center that used to have the Handy Andy as the anchor store used to be an enclosed strip center. There was an atrium in front of the stores. Across Blanco from Handy Andy was a bike store called the Bike Barn. Going north on Blanco there was nothing after Bitters. I will try to be more specific with details later.

My parents bought me a three speed from that Bike Barn, my friends and I used to love to go in there and look at all the bikes. I remember when it closed down and opened up as some kind of used sporting equipment store for a few years.

I also remember going to a TGIF store in the mall where the Handy Andy was. And I remember the glassed in atrium that ran in front of all the stores like an elongated sun room. I was out on Pat Booker road several years ago and saw another mall that still had an enclosed atrium in front of it and it reminded me of the way that old mall used to be.

[GWhopper]

Originally Posted by Primo

I don't know the history, but that can be a project for GWhopper. There is an Orsinger Mansion. It is behind Orsinger Park off of Heubner. You can see it from Huebner..it is old limestone with a tin roof. From what I understand the decendants still live there.

Speaking of old mansions. There are several in my neighbor that I really don't know the history. These would be the on the corner of Callaghan and Stonehaven. This is where Raul Jimenez' estate overlooks the city from a hill top (8910 callaghan). It looks very old, but it could have been build to look like an old spanish mission. Across Callaghan are 2 old mansions on several acres, these now serve as a Catholic nun convent...I know the nuns from St. Mathews live there, maybe other churches. Directly behind those 2 is a new mansion that was build by the founder of Church's Fried Chicken (3119 Stonehaven). Also on 8823 Callaghan..this was the Nowatny Home from Nowwatny Taxidermy. It is not a huge house, but very old and it has a lot of history, there was once an article in the paper about him when he died. The estate is surrounded by a small rock wall...but the old man was a rock hound and he collected rocks from all over the world..and the is wall is built from all of his rock collection.
I really dont know the history of these homes...you can look them up on zillow.com Let me know if anyone knows anything about them?

I actually went to high school with the granddaughter of the guy who started Churches. The lived in one of the older large houses that that face Callaghan, I think next to the Nowatny Home. Then in the 1980's they built an new mansion right on Stonehaven, the orange-like stucco mansion at 3119.

Now the mansion with the big pond I was told a long time ago once belonged to the Walgreen family, who started Walgreen's. I'm not sure why they own a house in SA, I didn't think Walgreen's was started here, but will have to check on that. I don't know if they still own it, it is now used as some kind of out of court arbitration site for businesses and legal entities. I know this because I used to jog by there a few years ago and their "guard dogs" would sometimes get out and chase me. They were great guard dogs, when they caught up with me the first time, I was terrified and thought I was about to get mauled, when to my surprise........ they simply wanted their bellies rubbed! After that I often had to walk the dogs back to the house for their safety, and got to talk to some of the people who worked there.

[GWhopper]

Originally Posted by linskie

I believe it opened up as "Royale Burger" of which there was at least one more location at Callaghan and Culebra, then it was a Chinese joint called "Jade Fountain" (once again "I think"). Some other-used-to-bees: the 24 hour Kwik Wash next to Las Palapas was a Mr. Gatti's, the Schlotzkies was a savings and loan, and Little Italy was a place called Jody's Pizza. Also the Money Store on Blanco was a full service gas station with self-service prices. I was not around for the Arby's. I had been gone from the area from '85-'04 and all these observations are from before then.

I could be wrong, but I thought Jade Fountain came before Royale Burger. I remember going the Jade Fountain on Fredricksburg inside the loop in the mid to late 70's, the building is still there I think. I remember the Royal Burger on Callaghan and I-10 opening in the late 70's or early 80's.

[Dwangle]

ok now you people are talking about the area I grew up in. I think the part you are talking about where the nuns live used to be called Kinney road. They are Presention nuns and have taught all over this area. I went to St Gregorie's in the sixties and used to go there to help with the upkeep. they always gave us really good pastries for our work. Callahan just ran into it so it stuck. I gotta go back-- hold on

[Dwangle]

The Churches had a house on the corner of Kinney (callahan) and Vance Jackson. It wasnt a mansion. It was just a nice place

[wCat]

....there is also a property on the other side of I-10....at Tupelo and Mockingbird right near Lowes. It is/was a convent. The city has just acquired that property, or is in the process of acquiring it and it's going to be turned into a park/lake and multi-use facility. The huge house will remain. I'll have to see if I can find the details on the plans.

OK...totally erase the part about a "convent" in what I said above. So much for neighborhood gossip! The property I mentioned above was owned by Gilbert M Denman Jr who died in 2004. His estate deeded this 24 acre estate and home to the city in 2007. It is planned for use as a park, with the house being set aside for events and private functions. I'm not sure where the "convent" part came into the discussion with friends, but after reading this thread I was certain there was something crazy going on with all these nuns up there. Anyway....I'm sure there are a lot of people who recognize Denman's name as the same Denman who was known for being a huge philanthropist throughout the San Antonio area.

So....can one of you tell me more info on the "real" nuns that live off Callaghan? Are any of them from St Gregory's or Ursaline Academy?

[Primo]

The house with the lake is across Stonehaven...I wish the city would buy it and turn that into a small park. That would be the most beautiful park in town. About 2 years ago the house on that property was busted for running an unlicensed nursing home. There are still guard dog roaming the property.
If you look on your internet map...there is another house with a lake/pond at the corner of Vance Jackson and Callaghan.

As far as the nun convent....I know for a fact...that the nuns from St. Mathews live there. I know they run a pre-school in one cottages in the back of the property. I go by there several times a day...and I have never ever seen anyone walk around the property. I dont think it is a nursing home for nuns...I thought that was at Incarned Word.
I would love to know about this property too.

There is a lot of history on that hill top....just don't know what it is.