Fritz Guenther House

250 Washington Street

The Fritz Guenther House is a brick masonry Victorian house with double front doors. The two-tier front porch contains some notable details, including dentil molding, spindle work balustrade, and Doric columns.

Fritz Gottfried Guenther, eldest son of Carl Hilmar Guenther, founder of the Guenther Mills, lived at this address in a stone cottage as far back as 1883. He was made head of the mill when his father decided to retire, but did not live long to occupy the position, since he died in 1897. His wife, Helena, daughter of Barbara Peltzer (see 221 Madison), continued to live in the cottage until 1908, when she built this two-story house. This was her home until about 1922.

After 1922 the house had other owners and renters, and the Policastros, Vincent and Theresa, bought in August of 1943. They altered the front of the building and made it into apartments. Jack McGregor, who bought the house in 1976, was a director of the Witte Museum and instrumental in the founding of the San Antonio Museum of Art. Alain Tessier, owner of Chamade Jewelers, acquired the property in 1983 and sold it to Michael and Shandelle Girdley in 2007. Stacey Hill completed a major renovation designed by San Antonio architect Jim Poteet in 2011.  Spurs player Patty Mills purchased the house in 2018.

The King William Area, A History and Guide to the Houses, Mary V. Burkholder and Jessie N.M. Simpson; published by the King William Association, 2017