Carl Groos House
335 King William StREET
Commissioned by banker Carl Groos, this substantial limestone house backing to the San Antonio River is embellished with wide cast-iron verandahs that shade the main elevation. The polygonal bay on the south side and the somewhat undersized cupola atop the roof give the house a picturesque appearance. The cast-iron and stone front wall and fountain are both original to the property. After it was sold by the family in 1948, the house served as the local Girl Scout headquarters until 1984, when it was remodeled by Ford, Powell & Carson as River Place, a single-family residence.
‘San Antonio Architecture, Traditions and Visions’, AIA San Antonio, 2007
The Carl Wilhelm August Groos House, a Victorian Eclectic Style limestone house, has retained its original cast iron balustrades, column and gingerbread, which accent the double porch. There is a double central front door with a transom window and square stone frame. An ornate belvedere crowns the roof.
The San Antonio Area Council of Girl Scouts purchased this house in 1957 from Mrs. F.G. Antonio, who bought the property from the Groos family in 1948. In back of the house is a large yard, which was used for the Girl Scout day camp program. The grounds extend to the walk along the San Antonio River, as do the yards of all the homes on the northwest side of the street in the four and five hundred blocks of King William Street.
There are two Groos homes in the area built by brothers who were born in Germany. On coming to Texas they settled in Eagle Pass before moving to San Antonio. At first they were in the mercantile business, before turning to banking and founding Groos National Bank of San Antonio. The other Groos home is at 231 Washington Street.
Carl Groos built this house around 1880. It was designed by architect Alfred Giles and is a fine example of a native limestone house built in the Victorian style. After Mr. Groos died of the last was his son, Franz V. Groos, who was president of the Groos Bank.
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