Casa Navarro

228 S Laredo STREET

This three-building complex, a fine example of Texas domestic architecture, was built about 1850 as the home and office of lawyer Jose Antonio Navarro (1795-1871), a native-born signer of the Texas declaration of Independence and later state senator. The vernacular design of the L-shaped house, the detached kitchen and the two-story office represents practical construction of heavy stone walls and broad frame porches. The complex was documented by the Historic American Building Survey in 1936, purchased by the San Antonio Conservation Society in 1960 and restored under the direction of Brooks Martin two years later. The property was deeded to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 1975, and additional restoration work was completed in 1979. It is operated by the state as a house museum.

‘San Antonio Architecture, Traditions and Visions’, AIA San Antonio, 2007