King William Historic District in San Antonio, TX

The King William area was owned by the 1718 Mission San Antonio de Valero (the Alamo). By the early 19th century, however, those missions were fully secularized and the land was bought, sold and divided into tracts.

German immigrant Carl Guenther was one of the earliest settlers in the King William District. Guenther built Pioneer Flour Mills on the San Antonio River. After Guenther, many more successful German immigrants began to build mansions in the Greek Revival, Victorian and Italianate architectural styles. Ernst Altgelt was the first to build on the current-day King William Street.

Although the 19th century was a period of diverse living for the historic district, the 1920s marked a decline in settlement. Residents moved to the north, and many of the elaborate and beautiful mansions were transformed into apartment buildings. When the 1960s rolled around, things turned back around. Young professionals rediscovered the King William neighborhood and began a renaissance. In '84, the district was expanded, now including cottages south of Alamo Street.