Laredo in Webb County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Leyendecker House

Photographed By James Hulse, July 29, 2022

1. Leyendecker House Marker

Inscription. John Z. Leyendecker, a German immigrant who settled in the Texas Hill Country in 1845, came to Laredo between 1848 and 1850. A prominent merchant, Confederate Army officer and civic leader, he built this house in 1866. His first wife was Maria Andrea Benavides, daughter of a prominent Laredo family. After her death he married her sister, Juliana. The house remained in the family until 1995. Designed in the "Mudejar" (Moorish) tradition, its features include a concrete cornice, arched doorway and flared pilaster base. The asymmetrical plan features patios (corredores) and arcades (galerias). Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1999

Erected 1999 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 12290.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Architecture. A significant historical year for this entry is 1845.

Location. 27° 30.151′ N, 99° 30.399′ W. Marker is in Laredo, Texas, in Webb County. Marker is at the intersection of Flores Avenue and Grant Street, on the left when traveling north on Flores Avenue. The marker is located on the left side of the entrance to a law office on the building. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 204 Flores Avenue, Laredo TX 78040, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Laredo Telephone Exchange (within shouting

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distance of this marker); Benavides Brothers (within shouting distance of this marker); Laredo Election Riot, 1886 (within shouting distance of this marker); The Republic of the Rio Grande (within shouting distance of this marker); Capitol, Republic of the Rio Grande (within shouting distance of this marker); Original Site of Villa De Laredo (within shouting distance of this marker); St. Augustine Parochial School (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Ramón Family (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Laredo.

Also see . . . Leyendecker, John Zirvas (1827–1902). Texas State Historical Association

John Zirvas Leyendecker, merchant and city official, was the son of Johann Leyendecker and Maria Magdalena (Zirvas) Leyendecker and was born in Nassau, Prussia (present-day Germany), on September 10, 1827. He immigrated to the United States with his family, and they departed from Belgium in late 1845 aboard the ship Riga. They arrived at Galveston on January 8, 1846, and traveled inland to the Texas Hill Country,
Photographed By James Hulse, July 29, 2022

2. John Z. Leyendecker House - National Register of Historical Places Plaque
where they settled in the new town of Fredericksburg. At some point Leyendecker went to Matamoros and hoped to join the army of Gen. Zachary Taylor. By 1847 he was working in Laredo as a clerk for Bartholomew J. DeWitt, and he sold goods at Fort McIntosh and other posts. The 1850 census listed Leyendecker as a merchant in San Antonio. In 1855 he established a store in Laredo and partnered with Cristóbal Benavides, the great-great-grandson of Tomás Sánchez de la Barrera y Garza (founder of Laredo), to sell and buy goods and horses. Leyendecker also had a store in Fredericksburg. In 1856 he became an American citizen.

(Submitted on August 1, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

The Leyendecker House and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By James Hulse, July 29, 2022

3. The Leyendecker House and Marker

The view of the Leyendecker House and Marker from across the street image. Click for full size.

Photographed By James Hulse, July 29, 2022

4. The view of the Leyendecker House and Marker from across the street

Credits. This page was last revised on August 1, 2022. It was originally submitted on July 31, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 429 times since then and 106 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 1, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.