Japanese Tea Garden

Japanese Tea Garden. . The idea of a Japanese Tea Garden was conceived by city parks commissioner Ray Lambert in the early 1900s in an effort to beautify the rock quarries which had earlier been abandoned by the San Antonio Portland Cement Company. The brick and stone smokestack east of the teahouse is a part of the old Portland Cement Kiln., Commissioner Lambert enlisted the aid of a Japanese artist Kimi Eizo Jingu to assist in the design of an authentic Japanese Tea Garden. Artist Jingu had recently arrived in San Antonio with his family, had been employed by the U.S. Army, and was selling his watercolor paintings part-time at a shop in downtown San Antonio., The Japanese Tea Garden was completed and christened in 1919, having been constructed with prison labor and both corporate and individual donations. Commissioner Lambert had given particular effort to achieving true Japanese design and had imported numerous plants from gardens existing in Japan. A house was constructed on the site, using rocks from the old quarry, and the Jingu family was moved into the house to act as overseers for the facility. In 1926 the Jingus opened a tea house in the upper level of their home. Before his death in 1936, Mr. Jingu had become nationally recognized for his knowledge of teas. , The Jingu family remained in their home in the garden until shortly after the December 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor Incident. The resulting general fear and resentment by the American Public caused the Jingu family to be removed from the garden, and its name was changed to "Chinese Tea Garden.", It was at this time the Chinese-Style entry was added, bearing the inscription Chinese Tea Garden." This oriental-design, cement-sculptured entry was purportedly designed by Maximo Cortez and constructed by Dionicio Rodriguez. , Mr. Rodriguez was a Mexican national who is credited with a number of cement sculptures in San Antonio. He kept his techniques secret, working always inside a tent and using tools he made on the site from tin, wood, etc. His process consisted of a metal rod base on which he developed three-dimensional designs with layers of especially prepared cement. He did not divulge either his process of cement sculpture or coloring of the cement layers. He spoke no English and a few co-workers learned by observation only. He is credited with having created various other sculptures throughout the United States, in addition to those in the San Antonio area., In 1983, the San Antonio City Council ordained that the original name of "Japanese Tea Garden" be restored to the site, in consideration of the number of Japanese-Americans who had fought honorably on the side of the United States during World War II.