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

Hot Wells Hotel

Photographed By James Hulse, December 27, 2022

1. Hot Wells Hotel Marker

Inscription.

Hot Wells Hotel. . Hot Sulphur Baths First Attracted Health Seekers to San Antonio's south side in 1892 when Charles Scheuermeyer used water from a nearby artesian well to fill an indoor pool at Southwestern Park. The well was used in 1893 to supply an elaborate bathhouse built by McClennan Shacklett near the San Antonio River. After the building was destroyed by fire, it was replaced in 1901 by local brewer Otto Koehler's Hot Wells Hotel and new bathhouse. Modeled on East Coast resorts, Hot Wells became a popular destination., The Hot Wells streetcar and nearby rail line carried locals and visiting tourists to the site. The resort's popularity declined during World War I and Prohibition, and it closed in 1923. The hotel building was converted to a private school, but burned in 1925 and was replaced by tourist cabins. The surviving bathhouse became a renowned entertainment spot known as the Flame Room in the 1940s. After it closed in 1977, the bathhouse deteriorated and burned in 1988. Today the Hot Wells ruins have been stabilized and plans are being made to restore the property as a major attraction on the San Antonio River., Captions , Lower Left: Hot Wells Hotel was widely advertised through promotional publications. This color postcard of the bathhouse (right) and full-page advertisement (above) are just two examples. , Courtesy: San Antonio Conservation Society Foundation. , Source: Greater San Antonio; The City of Destiny and of your Destination, 1923, Lower Middle: Charles Scheuermeyer promoted the benefits of Southwestern Park's hot sulphur water in this 1892 advertisement. , Source: Merrion and Fourmy General Directory of the City of San Antonio., Lower Right: Many wealthy and prominent visitors came to Hot Wells Hotel to improve their health. Hot Wells also housed cast and crew members of filmmaker Gaston Méliès's Star Film Ranch, the first movie studio in Texas. This cast picture was taken at the company's headquarters just across the river from the hotel. , Courtesy: Frank Thompson, Encino, California.

Hot Sulphur Baths First Attracted Health Seekers to San Antonio's south side in 1892 when Charles Scheuermeyer used water from a nearby artesian well to fill an indoor pool at Southwestern Park. The well was used in 1893 to supply an elaborate bathhouse built by McClennan Shacklett near the San Antonio River. After the building was destroyed by fire, it was replaced in 1901 by local brewer Otto Koehler's Hot Wells Hotel and new bathhouse. Modeled on East Coast resorts, Hot Wells became a popular destination.

The Hot Wells streetcar and nearby rail line carried locals and visiting tourists to the site. The resort's popularity declined during World War I and Prohibition, and it closed in 1923. The hotel building was converted to a private school, but burned in 1925 and was replaced by tourist cabins. The surviving bathhouse became a renowned entertainment spot known as the Flame Room in the 1940s. After it closed in 1977, the bathhouse deteriorated and burned in 1988. Today the Hot Wells ruins have been stabilized and plans are being made to restore the property as a major attraction on the San Antonio River.

Captions
Lower Left: Hot Wells Hotel was widely advertised through promotional publications. This color postcard of the bathhouse (right) and full-page advertisement (above)

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are just two examples.
Courtesy: San Antonio Conservation Society Foundation.
Source: Greater San Antonio; The City of Destiny and of your Destination, 1923

Lower Middle: Charles Scheuermeyer promoted the benefits of Southwestern Park's hot sulphur water in this 1892 advertisement.
Source: Merrion & Fourmy General Directory of the City of San Antonio.

Lower Right: Many wealthy and prominent visitors came to Hot Wells Hotel to improve their health. Hot Wells also housed cast and crew members of filmmaker Gaston Méliès's Star Film Ranch, the first movie studio in Texas. This cast picture was taken at the company's headquarters just across the river from the hotel.
Courtesy: Frank Thompson, Encino, California.

Erected 2019 by Bexar Heritage and Bexar County.

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° 21.933′ N, 98° 28.295′ 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 and Koehler Court, on the right when traveling south. The marker is located on the far west side of the ruins by the San Antonio River Walk. Touch for map

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

Photographed By James Hulse, December 27, 2022

2. The Hot Wells Hotel Marker and Bathhouse Ruins

. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5503 South Presa Street, San Antonio TX 78233, 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); Movie Stars, Baseball & Fancy Feathers (within shouting distance of this marker); Popular Pastimes at Hot Wells (within shouting distance of this marker); Hot Wells Timeline (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Hot Wells Hotel & Bathhouse (about 300 feet away); Fray Antonio Margil de Jesús (approx. half a mile away); The Convento / El convento (approx. half a mile away); Rose Window / Ventana de Rosa (approx. half a mile 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 spa was its replacement, a lavish Victorian style structure
Photographed By James Hulse, December 27, 2022

3. The view of the Hot Wells Hotel Marker from the San Antonio River Walk
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.)

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 155 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 2, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.