O. Henry House Museum (San Antonio) facts for kids
The O. Henry House Museum in San Antonio
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| Established | 1959 (reopened May 1999) |
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| Location | 601 Dolorosa St., San Antonio, Texas |
| Type | Historic house museum |
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O. Henry House
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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| Built | 1855 |
| Built by | John Kush |
| Part of | Main and Military Plazas Historic District (ID79002914) |
| Significant dates | |
| Designated CP | June 11, 1979 |
The O. Henry House Museum is a special old house in San Antonio, Texas. It's named after a famous American writer, William Sydney Porter, who was better known as O. Henry. He lived in this very house back in 1885. Today, it's a museum where you can learn about his life and stories.
Contents
History of the O. Henry House
Building a New Home
The house that became the O. Henry House Museum was first built in 1855. A German settler named John Kush built it. The house was made from adobe brick, which is a type of sun-dried mud brick. Its first location was at 904 South Presa Street in San Antonio.
A Writer's Time in San Antonio
William Sydney Porter, known as O. Henry, lived in San Antonio from 1883 to 1885. He moved there after leaving his job at a bank in Austin. In San Antonio, he started a funny magazine called Rolling Stone. Porter rented this small, two-room house for only $6 a month.
Saving and Moving the House
In 1959, the San Antonio Conservation Society worked to save the house. They teamed up with the Lone Star Brewing Company and the family of John Kush. They bought the house for just one dollar. Their big task was to move the house within 60 days to stop it from being torn down.
The house was moved to the Lone Star Brewing Company's property. It became part of the Buckhorn Museum collection. This lasted until the brewery closed in 1997.
In 1998, the house was moved again by David Carter and the MLP partnership. It found its current home at the corner of Dolorosa and Laredo Street in Downtown San Antonio. After being carefully fixed up, the house opened as a museum in 1999. Inside, you can see furniture from that time and items related to O. Henry's life and his famous writings.
Stories from San Antonio
While O. Henry lived in this house, he wrote several short stories. These stories were set right there in San Antonio. Some of his works from this period include "Fog in Santone," "The Higher Abdication," and "Hygeia at the Solito." These stories give us a peek into what San Antonio was like back then.
See also
