Harlandale in San Antonio in Bexar County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Hot Wells Hotel & Bathhouse

Photographed By James Hulse, December 27, 2022

1. Hot Wells Hotel & Bathhouse Marker

Inscription.

Hot Wells Hotel and Bathhouse. . In 1892 Well Drillers Were Surprised when their well produced 103°F sulphur water instead of the clear artesian water they were hired to locate. Unable to use this water, the State of Texas which owned the well, leased it to Charles Scheuermeyer. He opened an indoor pool and promoted the water as a cure for many diseases. Before vaccines and antibiotics (and before FDA regulation), it was common practice for owners of mineral well pools to extoll a wide range of health benefits., After Scheuermeyer's hotel plans failed, the well was leased to McClennan Schacklett, who purchased 10 acres along the San Antonio River and built an imposing bathhouse, filling the pools with the "healing" waters. Shacklett's bathhouse burned in 1894, and the resort operated in temporary buildings until 1901. Then, local brewer Otto Koehler purchased and expanded the property and built Hot Wells Hotel and Bath House, a grand hotel modeled on hot springs resorts throughout the United States., The hotel remained a stylish destination for local residents and tourists alike through World War I. However, Prohibition (nationwide ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages, enacted in 1920) hastened the hotel's demise. The hotel closed in 1923 and was converted to a school. The former hotel building burned in 1925, and tourist cabins were built in its place. In 1937 new owners opened the Flame Room, a popular nightclub, in the surviving bathhouse., After the Flame Room closed in 1977, the bathhouse condition declined, but visitors continued to bathe in the hot sulphur pools until the 1980s. Fires and weather took their toll, and the property fell into ruin. In 2015 the Hot Wells ruins and surrounding land were acquired by Bexar County for preservation, public use, and as a historical feature along the restored Mission Reach of the San Antonio River., Historical narrative by Maria Watson Pfeiffer, with photo research by David Haynes., Captions , Upper Right: Souvenir postcards showing Hot Wells Hotel and Bath House (left), and a view of the bathhouse from the entry drive (right). , Courtesy San Antonio Conservation Society Foundation

In 1892 Well Drillers Were Surprised when their well produced 103°F sulphur water instead of the clear artesian water they were hired to locate. Unable to use this water, the State of Texas which owned the well, leased it to Charles Scheuermeyer. He opened an indoor pool and promoted the water as a cure for many diseases. Before vaccines and antibiotics (and before FDA regulation), it was common practice for owners of mineral well pools to extoll a wide range of health benefits.

After Scheuermeyer's hotel plans failed, the well was leased to McClennan Schacklett, who purchased 10 acres along the San Antonio River and built an imposing bathhouse, filling the pools with the "healing" waters. Shacklett's bathhouse burned in 1894, and the resort operated in temporary buildings until 1901. Then, local brewer Otto Koehler purchased and expanded the property and built Hot Wells Hotel and Bath House, a grand hotel modeled on hot springs resorts throughout the United States.

The hotel remained a stylish destination for local residents and tourists alike through World War I. However, Prohibition (nationwide ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages, enacted in 1920) hastened the hotel's demise. The hotel closed in 1923 and was converted to a school. The former hotel building burned in 1925, and tourist cabins were built

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in its place. In 1937 new owners opened the Flame Room, a popular nightclub, in the surviving bathhouse.

After the Flame Room closed in 1977, the bathhouse condition declined, but visitors continued to bathe in the hot sulphur pools until the 1980s. Fires and weather took their toll, and the property fell into ruin. In 2015 the Hot Wells ruins and surrounding land were acquired by Bexar County for preservation, public use, and as a historical feature along the restored Mission Reach of the San Antonio River.

Historical narrative by Maria Watson Pfeiffer, with photo research by David Haynes.

Captions
Upper Right: Souvenir postcards showing Hot Wells Hotel and Bath House (left), and a view of the bathhouse from the entry drive (right).
Courtesy San Antonio Conservation Society Foundation

Erected 2019 by Bexar Heritage and Bexar County. (Marker Number 2.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1892.

Location. 29° 21.958′ N, 98° 28.245′ W. Marker is in San Antonio, Texas, in Bexar County. It is in Harlandale. Marker can be reached from the intersection of South Presa Street (State Highway

The Hot Wells Bathhouse Ruins and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By James Hulse, December 27, 2022

2. The Hot Wells Bathhouse Ruins and Marker

122) and Koehler Court, on the right when traveling south. The marker is located at the front right side of the ruins near the parking lot. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5503 South Presa Street, San Antonio TX 78223, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. A Luxury Getaway for the Rich & Famous (within shouting distance of this marker); Hot Wells Timeline (within shouting distance of this marker); Movie Stars, Baseball & Fancy Feathers (within shouting distance of this marker); Popular Pastimes at Hot Wells (within shouting distance of this marker); Hot Wells Hotel (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Fray Antonio Margil de Jesús (approx. 0.6 miles away); The Convento / El convento (approx. 0.6 miles away); Rose Window / Ventana de Rosa (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in San Antonio.

Also see . . . The Hot Wells Hotel and Spa. The Edwards Aquifer Website

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Hot Wells site on the San Antonio River was home to several versions of a health spa and resort that piped sulfurous water from a hot Edwards well to health-inducing swimming pools and baths. Much of the site's history has been defined by fire. The first structure burned to the ground in 1894 after only one year of operation. The most famous version of the
Photographed By James Hulse, December 27, 2022

3. The Hot Wells Bathhouse Ruins
spa was its replacement, a lavish Victorian style structure built in 1900 that became a renowned, world-class vacation destination for celebrities, world leaders, and wealthy industrialists. Some of its visitors were Will Rogers, Charlie Chaplin, Teddy Roosevelt, Porfirio Diaz, Tom Mix, Douglas Fairbanks, and Cecil B. De Mille (Fox and Highley, 1985). The legendary hotel burned in 1925, and the bath house burned twice, in 1988 and 1997. But the remains of the bath house are still standing for decades there were hopes the site could be revitalized. In 2018, they are becoming the center-piece of a new county park.

(Submitted on January 1, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

Hot Wells Bathhouse Pool Ruins image. Click for full size.

Photographed By James Hulse, December 27, 2022

4. Hot Wells Bathhouse Pool Ruins

Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 1, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 185 times since then and 40 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on January 1, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.