historic districts
KWA's service area contains five historic districts, including the state’s oldest district created by city ordinance and three districts recognized by the National Register of Historic Places. All five districts are equally protected by city ordinances and share a common theme of historical and cultural importance.
The street names in the area have changed over the years. Be on the lookout for these when looking at old maps and directories.
Ewell St = Guenther St (circa 1889)
Mill St = S. Alamo (circa 1890)
Chabot St = Lee St (circa 1875) = Sheridan (circa 1890)
Garden St = St. Mary’s
Victoria St = Durango = Cesar Chavez
Temple St = Eagleland
On a 1909 map, the lower three blocks of Cedar from where it jogs near Claudia was called Henrietta. Most historians seem to agree that Ernst Altgelt gave King William Street its name in honor of the Prussian ruler, Wilhelm I. The street name was changed to Pershing during WWI, but the street was never named Kaiser Wilhelm Street.
For a map of the Arsenal Historic District click here.
Arsenal Historic District
The United States Arsenal was established in 1859 along the banks of the San Antonio River. It included an office building, commanding officer's quarters (now a city park), servants' quarters, a stable, a magazine building, and a storehouse. In 1985, the H. E. Butt Grocery Company (H.E.B.) bought the Arsenal complex, rehabilitated the existing buildings, and moved its corporate headquarters to San Antonio from Corpus Christi, Texas.
For a map of the Arsenal Historic District click here.
For a map of the South Alamo/South St. Mary’s Historic District click here.
South Alamo/South St. Mary’s Historic District
The South Alamo Street-South St. Mary’s Street National Historic District is a residential area sited roughly south and west of Alamo Street. The district is characterized by late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century homes whose density reflects the city's growth as people expanded over what had been the fields supporting Mission San Antonio de Valero (known as the Alamo).
For a map of the South Alamo/South St. Mary’s Historic District click here.
For a map of the King William Historic District click here.
King William Historic District (2)
The City of San Antonio recognized the King William area as a residential historic district in 1968, and the National Register of Historic Places recognized a slightly different footprint as a historic district in 1972. Many of the early settlers along the San Antonio River were German immigrants. Ernst Altgelt, the first to build on current-day King William Street, is credited with naming his street after King Wilhelm I of Prussia.
For a map of the King William Historic District click here.