Mission San Juan de Capistrano, Habitation A, Berg's Mill-Graf Road, San Antonio

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS TEX,15-SANT.V,3C-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Although reconstructed, f bitation A, or Indian quarters, is ~a typical component of a Spanish Mission complex built during the period of Texas frontier. PART I. HISTORICAL INFORMATICS A. Physical History: 1. Date of erection: Circa 2. Original and subsequent owners: See History section of Mission San Juan De Captstrano, HABS No. 3. Original plans and construction: The original "pueblo" or Indian quarters were temporary shelters of brush and mud erected along the east and west walls of the Mission Plaza. In it was said that the quarters were rebuilt and were houses of stone laid in mud mortar. During the mid the quarters fell into gradual disuse and ruin. In it was reconstructed. B. Historical Context: See Mission San Juan De Capistrano, HABS No. PART II. ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION A.

General Statement: 1. Architectural character: The original appearance of this structure is not known as it has been in ruins during modern times. Essentially it is a simple rectangular stone building with the dominant architectural feature being the exterior fire-box and chimney on the north elevation. 2. Condition of fabric: The walls are sound and the overall condition is good in that this building is undergoing extensive reconstruction at present. MISSION SAN JUAN DE CAPISTRANO, HABITATION A HABS No. (Page 2) B. Description of Exterior: 1. Overall dimensions: This house is about 16' x 2. Foundation: The original foundations were the lower masonry wall courses carried about two feet below grade to stable soil.

During the present reconstruction, reinforced concrete has been used to strengthen the foundations. 3. Wallas Ihe walls of the house are of rubble sandstone and lime mortar. 4. Structural system, framing: load bearing walls; typical wood ceiling and roof framing for reconstructed roofs. 5. Porch: The present porch is a reconstruction. It is not known whether there was an original porch. The porch supports are roughly fashioned 4"x 4" cedar timbers. 6. Openings a. Doorways and doors: The entrance doorway is a masonry opening. Ihe original door is no longer extant. b. Windows: Oily the window openings remain: Cue in the east wall of the major room, one in the west wall of that room, and one in the west wall of the adjoining smaller room. These are all about three feet wide. 7.

Roof: Ihe present reconstructed roof is of wood framing supporting a corrugated metal sheathing which in turn is covered with thatch. C. Description of Interior: 1. Floor plan: This small house is made up of two adjoining rooms thus forming a small rectangular structure. The rooms are back to back with a central doorway connecting them. 2. Floor: The present floor is a reinforced concrete slab. The original was undoubtedly hard-packed earth. 3. Wall and ceiling finish: The rubble walls were originally plastered and portions of plaster are still to be found. The ceilings are, of course, reconstructed. 4. Fireplace: Simple stone raised hearth, splayed opening. 5. Doors: The original doors have long since vanished. No reconstructed doors have been hung as yet. 6. Trim: No wood trim.

It is unlikely that the original had wood trim. MISSION SAN JUAN DE CAPISTRANO, HABITATION A HABS No. (Page 3) D. Site: 1. general setting and orientation: This house forms the northwest corner of the Mission compound and runs north to south. Prepared by: John C. Garner, Jr. Director, Bexar County Architecture Survey PART III. PROJECT INFORMaTION The San Antonio project was undertaken by the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) in the summer of and was made possible with funds from HABS and two sponsors, the Bexar County Historical Survey Committee and the San Antonio Conservation Society. Under the direction of James Massey, chief of HABS, the project was carried out by Wesley I. Shank (Iowa State University), project supervisor, and by student assistant architects, Charles W.

Barrow (University of Texas); Les Beilinson (University of Miami); William H. Edwards (University of Illinois); and Iarry D. Hermsen (Iowa State University) at the HABS field office in the former Ursuline Academy buildings, San Antonio. John C. Garner, director of Bexar County Architecture Survey, did the outside work on the written documentaries. Susan McCown, a HABS staff historian in the Washington, D. C. office, edited the written data in for preparation of transmittal to the Library of Congress. Dewey G. Wears of Austin, Texas took the documentary pfrotograpi'is of the San Antonio structures. PART IV. OTHER INFORMATION For a photograph of the Habitation A, see Mission San Juan De Capistrano, Habitation B, HABS No. D.