La Villita in San Antonio in Bexar County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Gray-Guilbeau House
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, May 2, 2015
1. Gray-Guilbeau House Marker
Inscription.
Gray-Guilbeau House. . Josι Amador was given this property by the Spanish Government in 1817. His heirs sold it to P.L. Buquor in 1847. Later that year, James Gray bought the land and built this house, which he sold to French consul Francois Guilbeau in 1853. Another Frenchman, Marie Biencourt, owned the house and occupied it from 1880 until 1932. The house stood vacant for 15 years until it was purchased by local artist Warren Hunter. Hunter completely renovated the two-room adobe structure and leased it to Dr. Victor Alessandro, conductor of the San Antonio Symphony, who made further modern additions. Mr. and Mrs. Walter Henshaw, who owned the house from 1958 to 1970, added a second story to the building and lived there until it was purchased by restaurant operator Frank Phelps in 1970.
Josι Amador was given this property by the Spanish Government in 1817. His heirs sold it to P.L. Buquor in 1847. Later that year, James Gray bought the land and built this house, which he sold to French consul Francois Guilbeau in 1853. Another Frenchman, Marie Biencourt, owned the house and occupied it from 1880 until 1932. The house stood vacant for 15 years until it was purchased by local artist Warren Hunter. Hunter completely renovated the two-room adobe structure and leased it to Dr. Victor Alessandro, conductor of the San Antonio Symphony, who made further modern additions. Mr. & Mrs. Walter Henshaw, who owned the house from 1958 to 1970, added a second story to the building and lived there until it was purchased by restaurant operator Frank Phelps in 1970.
Erected by La Villita Tenants Association and the San Antonio Conservation Society. (Marker Number G.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1817.
Location. 29° 25.307′ N, 98° 29.291′ W. Marker is in San Antonio, Texas, in Bexar County. It is in La Villita. It is on Villita Street west of South Alamo Street, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 515 Villita Street, San Antonio TX 78205, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in South Texas. It is also in the American South. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Republic of Texas, and one of the Confederate States of America.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 4, 2015, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 781 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on May 4, 2015, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.
