Just What is the History of the Castle?
Most neighbors simply call it “The Castle.”
PART 1
When I bought the house at 250 Mary Louise, I noticed two things immediately: the amazing neighbors who would stop by to chat in a very friendly manner and the fact that they all called my house “The Castle.” It seemed like it was truly a neighborhood landmark, and I knew at that point I had a great responsibility to bring it back to its former glory. But what was its history? The house had been completely gutted and remodeled several times on the interior. Could I bring some or all of it back to original condition?
These questions led me on a multi-year research project to investigate the home’s history, architect, builder, and owners. I found that I was the ninth owner, so it had changed hands many times. I also discovered that the house had many changes and additions over the years, while basic maintenance had not been a focus, so the structure and systems needed much care and attention. And I was determined in my restoration to be sensitive to the history of the house and bring back as many of the original features as possible.
This is part one of a two-part story about the history of The Castle. Until now, I have purposely avoided writing about my own house for this column, but so many have asked me about the history, I decided to give it a go. I hope you enjoy this information and that it inspires you to research your own house.
Two years after North Woodlawn Place was platted, construction began on 250 Mary Louise Drive on May 17, 1927. Later that August, the San Antonio Express reported that “the framework for the two-story stucco home for George Morgan is in place and outlines a massive structure that will cost approximately $40,000.” Noted architect Frost Carvel designed the home in the “Spanish style” for George and his wife Lenore. Mr. Carvel was becoming very well known in San Antonio for these Spanish style houses, and in fact most of the Spanish homes on West Hollywood in Monte Vista were of his design.
The Morgan’s house was completed in February 1928 and was featured in a prominent story in the San Antonio Light on March 4, 1928, which called it “one of the most beautiful structures in the district.” Note that the original address was 248 Mary Louise.
San Antonio Light, March 4, 1928
Mr. Morgan was the Vice President of the Dixie Oil Company, and evidently his job required him to move, so the Morgans sold their house after living there only seven months! The new owners, Jerry and Agnes Albers, immediately started construction on an addition to the house, the first of a series of changes to the original structure which would continue for many decades. They built a covered porch across the back of the house which partially obscured one of the beautiful architectural features at the rear of the house.
In 1938, the Albers sold the home to Martin Killian and his wife Bobby. Mr. Killian was a prominent road builder, and his wife was a nationally ranked amateur golfer. As their three sons grew, they soon needed more space, so the Killians made major changes to the footprint of the house. They added a maid’s quarters off of the garage, a utility room for HVAC, a swimming pool, and most significantly, a 2-story addition at the back of the house which eliminated the Albers’ porch and added a family room, a bath, and two additional rooms. They also “modernized” the interior of the house, adding features such as crown moulding, and florescent lighting, while eliminating many of the original features on the interior, including the decorative niches and stucco fireplace in the living room. Several original steel casement windows were also removed, leaving large stucco patches on the exterior.
Several years ago, I was incredibly fortunate to meet Dick Killian, the youngest Killian son. He shared numerous family photos and home movies, which showed many of the lost architectural elements. And jackpot! He also had blueprints from the 1953 renovations which showed many of the original elements before they were altered. Here is a 1946 photo of Mrs. Killian in front of the original fireplace. I am using this photo to reconstruct the scalloped niches and the original fireplace surround, all of which was removed by 1953.
Killian family photo shared with author
So, by 1953, the house had been thoroughly modernized and many original elements were no longer extant. In part two, coming in May, we will explore further changes to the house including the famous backyard statue and the rumors about ghosts. And I’ll share the plans to restore many elements back to the Castle as I continue to renovate this neighborhood gem.
PART 2
In Part 1, I covered the first 40 years, and three owners, of the history of 250 Mary Louise, known by many as “The Castle.” In Part 2, I will review the next 50+ years, to the present day. I hope many of you will find this of interest.
Dr. Max Morales and family bought the house in 1967 and, like earlier owners, made modifications to the floorplan. They added an arched opening between the family room and living room and added the famed elevator which many neighbors remember to this day. Mrs. Morales had a difficult time using the stairs, and the elevator gave her easy access to the second-floor bedrooms.
Perhaps their most interesting addition was a large Toltec warrior statue in the courtyard. This was one of about a dozen sculptures Dr. Morales made for a restaurant which he never completed. He kept one statue for his back yard and sold the rest to his friend and neighbor, Ralph Karem, who used them to decorate the Karem’s Restaurants on South Zarzamora and Callahan. This sculpture stood for the next 25 years, but eventually collapsed during a rainstorm. If there is interest I’ll write a future post with this full story!
Toltec warrior statue from the Morales family
The next two owners made few changes to the house, but tragedy struck them both, when untimely deaths occurred, including one attributed to spontaneous combustion! These deaths, plus that imposing statue overlooking the house, soon spawned legends about ghosts and mysterious happenings in the house. I have heard versions of ghost stories from many neighbors but can honestly state that I have never seen nor heard anything out of the ordinary, unless you count raccoons making scratching noises in the attic.
In 1985, the Wilson family purchased the house. They replaced many of the windows, made significant changes to all three bathrooms, and completely remodeled the original kitchen to reflect a “1950s vibe.” The Wilsons were devoted collectors of juke boxes and coke memorabilia, and the remodeled kitchen looked like it could have been part of TV’s Happy Days. It featured red, sparkly dining stools and booth seating, neon lights, and glass blocks. Longtime neighbors fondly remember the large collection of neon signs and jukeboxes throughout the house.
Red dining booth with a 1950s theme. Photo by author
By the time I purchased the house in 2009, there had been eight prior owners, and almost none of the original interior details remained, except for a small number of doorknobs.
It took me several years, but I put together a history of the house, with help and records from Bexar County, The Conservation Society, the City of San Antonio, the Texana Room at the downtown library, and hundreds of hours scouring newspaperarchive.com, Google, and Ancestry. Through those searches, I was able to meet family members of many previous owners, who shared pictures, blueprints, and home movies. All of this influenced my restoration plans which were approved by the Historic Design Review Commission.
To date, much of the progress is not very visible. I have replaced all electrical, plumbing, and HVAC. The Ludowici tile roof was restored along with the Fenestra steel casement windows. I added new membrane roofing to the flat roof areas and made major foundation repairs, including adding a water dam across the front of the house to prevent future water damage. I also added back several steel casements and wood windows removed during earlier remodels.
In the interior, I removed most of the changes added in the 1950-90 eras and will be replacing many 1928 details. And I’m using every clue possible from my research. For example, I have a family photo from the 1940s which shows just a tiny part of a cabinet, but that gave me the design for all of the new cabinetry!
And in areas where I don’t really know what the house looked like in 1928, I’m doing what would be period appropriate. For example, I have collected 9 chandeliers and 18 sconces from the same family of 1920’s light fixtures. I’m almost finished restoring them and I’ll use them throughout the house to be as authentic to the period as possible.
I hope you have enjoyed learning a little about the history of “The Castle” and perhaps this story might inspire you to research your own house. There are plenty of resources out there to help on your journey. Also, if any of you have some interesting stories about “The Castle” please reach out and share. I’d love to learn even more!
