San Antonio, Texas: King William Historic District; things to do + restaurant review

King William Historic District  

122 Madison St., (210) 227-8786.  Free.   

    

Located on the south bank of the San Antonio River, the sprawling King William Historic District is filled with 19th-century residences.  Many have been preserved, and some have been transformed into cafes, art galleries, museums, and shops.  It was originally settled by prominent German merchants who brought with them a distinct architectural style, and in the late 1800s this district was the most elegant residential area in the city.  It is now zoned as the state's first historic district and remains a fashionable neighborhood.

●The Guenther House  

205 E. Guenther St., (210) 227-1061.  

Built in 1859 as the home for the founder of Pioneer Flour Mills, the stone Guenther House opened in 1988 as a museum and restaurant.  The flour mill is still in business today and operates across the street, which makes it the country’s longest continually family-owned and -operated mill.

Pioneer Flour Mills in King William Historic District
of San Antonio, Texas

Guenther House Restaurant  

Daily 7am-3pm.  

The Guenther House Restaurant's main dining room here was added to the house later and is known as the Tea Room.  Another interior room and an expansive outdoor patio are also available.  Locals especially like to come here for the breakfast items, which are served all day.  Favorites include a strawberry waffle and buttermilk biscuits with sausage gravy.  Among the pastries is a very big cinnamon roll.  Sandwiches include a club and a BLT with cheddar that--in true Texas style--is mostly apple-wood smoked bacon.  A taco salad and chicken enchiladas are also on the menu.  Items are made with flour milled at the founder’s original flour mill.

dining room at Guenther House Restaurant in King William Historic District
of San Antonio, Texas

lunch entrees at Guenther House Restaurant in King William Historic District
of San Antonio, Texas

Guether House Museum  

Free.  

A self-guided tour of the small Guenther House Museum is available when the restaurant is open.  The museum is in the house’s original library.  It displays mill memorabilia, including antique baking accessories, cookie cutters, and some Dresden-made and American-made china plates that were given to customers as premiums.

library at Guenther House Museum in King William Historic District
of San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio River Mill Store  

(800) 235-8186.  M-Sat 8am-4pm, Sun 8am-3pm.  

This shop is well stocked with enticing kitchen items.  Selections include housemade preserves and a variety of mixes for items made in the restaurant, including biscuits, waffles, and cornbread.

baking mix in San Antonio River Mill Store at Guenther House Museum
in King William Historic District of San Antonio, Texas

dessert plate in San Antonio River Mill Store at Guenther House Museum
in King William Historic District of San Antonio, Texas

●Edward Steves Homestead Museum  

509 King William St., (210) 227-9160.  Daily 10am-3:30pm.  $10, 65+ $7.50, under 12 free; $5/person for guided tour.     

When Edward Steves opened his first lumberyard in San Antonio in 1866, he lived in a modest little house.  About 10 years later he made the big move up to this grand Victorian period home with a French mansard roof.  It cost him $12,500 then, but is worth about  $4,500,000 now.  The family’s lumber business is still going strong, but they no longer are affiliated with this house.  Restored to its original grandeur, the Edward Steves Homestead Museum has many furnishings that are original to the house (you can see more in the Witte Museum).  With 13-inch-thick limestone walls and 14-foot-high ceilings, the temperature inside is naturally cool.  The house has no fireplaces but does have a wood-burning stove in every room.  Unusual for the time period is that the house had running water and built-in closets, and one particularly noteworthy architectural feature is a set of oversize pocket doors with ornate glass.  It is interesting to note that back in the day the neighborhood kids visited to skate on the attic’s wood floor (the attic is not accessible to visitors).  Out buildings beside the river include the servants quarters (now the visitor center), a wash house, a small carriage house, and a natatorium (indoor pool) built in 1910 that is now boarded over.

exterior of Edward Steves Homestead Museum in King William Historic District
of San Antonio, Texas

hedge maze at Edward Steves Homestead Museum
in King William Historic District of San Antonio, Texas

interior stairwell at Edward Steves Homestead Museum
in King William Historic District of San Antonio, Texas

bedroom at Edward Steves Homestead Museum
in King William Historic District of San Antonio, Texas

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images ©2018 Carole Terwilliger Meyers