When thinking of San Antonio, one might first remember the Alamo or the city’s famed River Walk. While both are popular tourist attractions, there is another must-see spot when traveling to San Antone … La Villita.
Dating back some 300 years, La Villita — which translates to “little village” — is a cornerstone of the city and could be considered San Antonio’s first neighborhood. Originally the site of a Coahuiltecan Indian village, La Villita was known as Pueblo de Valero from 1795-1809. Listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, the neighborhood has served not just as a home but also as a refuge through time.
Early residents were probably members of the Coahuiltecan Indian village and had no legal title to the land, which ran along the banks of the San Antonio River and was part of the lower farmlands of Mission San Antonio de Valero (what would later be called the Alamo). Military located nearby at the Presidio San Antonio de Béjar provided protection for soldiers and their families to build homes and raise crops and livestock without fear of Indian raids.
In 1809, La Villita joined the Presidio and the Villa de San Fernando, along with surrounding missions, to become a township … what we now know as San Antonio. An 1819 flood is said to have washed away fragile brush huts, which were replaced by sturdier adobe houses.
Beginning in October 1835, Texas fought for independence from Mexico, and La Villita was not immune to revolutionary activity. A local resident, Samuel A. Maverick (who would go on to be a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence), made note in his journal on November 2, 1835: “… nothing done today, but a little firing at long distances and without effect, at the picket guards of the Mexicans in the edge of La Villita.” It is believed that General Martín Perfecto de Cos surrendered to Texan commander General Edward Burleson following the Battle of San Jacinto, signing the articles of surrender at his home … a building at 418 Villita Street that is today called the Cos House.
The mid- to late-19th century saw the arrival of European immigrants, and along with them new culture and architecture. The population of San Antonio grew from 12,200 to 20,500 between 1870 and 1880. An already multicultural environment of Americans, Germans and Mexicans grew to include people of Irish, French and English descent. A variety of trades existed, from stonecutters to lawyers, dressmakers to doctors, and many roles in between. While both renters and home owners invested in the La Villita neighborhood, by the early 20th century, the area is said to have fallen into disrepair.
San Antonio Mayor Maury Maverick initiated an ordinance in 1939 dedicated to restoring the once vital township, around the time the Works Progress Administration initiated its $400,000-plus River Walk Project … which is credited with bringing new life to the area. La Villita’s cobblestoned streets still give a whimsical nod to its 18th-century beginnings, but WPA architect Robert H.H. Hugman’s use of stonework in the area was criticized at the time of the River Walk Project. Nevertheless, a cultural art hub was born as buildings were restored and many artists were drawn to the community in the 1940s.
Upon the WPA project’s completion in March 1941, improvements covered 8,500 feet of river banks and 21 blocks of land. On the southern bank, La Villita remains, “one artsy square block in the heart of downtown San Antonio.” Some of its buildings are said to have been continuously occupied for 200 years, ranging in style from adobe clay to limestone.
Today, more than two dozen shops and galleries share handmade, local wares from jewelry-making and metalsmithing to body care and painting. Visitors come to shop and enjoy many special events each year … including the St. Patrick’s River Parade and Festival, Starving Artist Art Show, RiverArtober, Día de los Muertos Celebration and Holiday in the Village. Restaurants serve up bold flavors from barbecue and Tex-Mex to German-inspired foods. While embracing its humble beginning, La Villita has managed to become an entrepreneur district of resident artisans and craftsmen attracting the tourists who continue to keep the area alive.
Sources:
1. https://sanantonioreport.org/preservation-seminar-to-examine-how-wpa-projects-transformed-san-antonio/.
2. https://www.lavillitasanantonio.com/.
3. https://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/42010385505.
Written by Angel Morris
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