The Washington herald., 1910-04-03
OLD LANDMARK GOES
Veramendi Place Gives Room
TO Office Building.
SPANISH GOVERNORS HOME
Structure I'm San Antonio Made Fa-
nous by Events of Spanish Re-
gime In Texas Now a Ruin-OId
stones VIII Be Used in the New
Edifiee-StOOd in SoIedad Street.

According TO a dispatch from San An
tonic. the Veramendl palace. once the
home OF the governor of the Spanish
provinces. Is TO be torn down TO make
room for a modern ONCE building. This
old palace is one OF the most famous
buildings of the Spanish regime in Texas.
and has probably been visited by more
tourists than any structure in the South
west
The materials Of the old building will
be used 10 some extent in the new. and
by that means a part of the romance
and tradition of the palace will be pre-
served. The palace was built in I7S5, and
for a good many years has been practi-
cally ruin.
VIII Use Old stones.
Speaking Of the passing OF the old
building. the dispatch says:
After having been I'm use since I775.
the stone and mortar of the Veramendi
palace will be used in the construction
Of modern ten-story Office building
Instead OF hearing the gasconades Of
Spanish eonqulstadores and the dolce
voices OF senoritas. they will hereafter
listen to the click Of typewriters and the
giggle Of her who works them. No more
Will they look upon proud DOns from
far Hispano. armed sap-a-pie and in
cased in helmet, visor, doubIet, and cui-
rass. for hereafter twentieth century
business men with green ties. pink socks
pigeon toed shoes, and padded garments
will be their only companions.
Before the stones get that far. how
ever, they win be put through the mill
and made of the size used in concrete
construction. They are limestone Of ex-
cellent quality and well adapted for their
future mission.
with the Veramendi Palace passes one
of the best known architectural remains
Of Spanish-Anerlcan civilization. It was
erected almost simultaneously with the
Alamo. and for many years was the
white house OF the Spanish province OF
Bexar. a territory comprising all OF
Texas. In those days it was merely
known as the governors house, a de-
scription more suitable than Versmendi
palace. The latter name it received be
cause of its occupancy by the last Next
can governor of Texas.
stood in sOIedad Street.
The building stood in Soledad street.
it's site marking formerly the northeast
ern corner of large public square. the
center of which was occupied by the
plaza des arTnas Of San Fernando Pre-
sidio. In it's rear was a big garden,
which extended 10 the banks of the San
Antonio River. the whole, house and gar
den. being at one time surrounded with
very strong palisade and deep bitches
1t was 10 uncommon thing to have the
Indians make raids right in the city in
those days. and for that reason defenses
of that kind were necessary.
1.-THE old building was the scene of
many a romance of love and murder
Almost in its shadow a Mexican general
caused to be butchered like pigs a number
of Spanish and other prisoners who had
been unfortunate enough to side with the
Spanish government during the Mexican
revolution. In the Veramendi palace
Ben lillian met his end at the assassin's
hand, and in it's patio and the shaded
walks of it's gardens James Bowie, de-
signer OF the famous knife bearing his
name, courted and won Ursula Vera
mendi, said to have been by far the pref
test woman then In Texas.
"ATl that remains intact of the famous
old structure now are a pair of cedar
doors which had swung on their hinges
since 1875. They are deliberately carved
and unusually well preserved. For some
time TO come they viii swing in a private
in this city. but It is hoped t.
put them in some museum in the near
future"