Koehler Cultural Center
Encyclopedia
The Koehler Cultural Center is located on the campus of San Antonio College
. The Center was donated to San Antonio College and houses part of the school’s arts department. The center is also known as the Koehler house/mansion and is a focal point for the educational and social life of the college. It provides a link to the living history of the area, and forms an important part of the architectural heritage of south central Texas. The Center is located at 310 West Ashby, which at the time was considered the “outskirts” of San Antonio. In the late 19th century, the Indian threat prevented the development of the city to the north beyond the San Pedro area. It wasn’t until after the capture of the Apache
war chief Geronimo
that San Antonio real estate developers started building in this area.
Otto Koehler originally built the mansion in 1901-1902, utilizing the services of Carol von Seutter as the chief architect of the mansion. Mr. Koehler came to San Antonio in 1884 and was one of the organizers of the San Antonio Brewing Association, now known as Pearl Brewing Company
. According to legend, Koehler selected the spot due to its unobstructed view of his brewery, and could determine whether or not his employees were hard at work by the color of the smoke coming from the smokestacks. This Victorian
style mansion is a good example of the eclectic
architectural style that was popular during the late 19th century and early 20th century.
San Antonio College
San Antonio College is a community college that is a part of the Alamo Community College District. It is located on San Pedro Avenue, across from San Pedro Park, near downtown San Antonio. SAC is the oldest public two-year college in Texas...
. The Center was donated to San Antonio College and houses part of the school’s arts department. The center is also known as the Koehler house/mansion and is a focal point for the educational and social life of the college. It provides a link to the living history of the area, and forms an important part of the architectural heritage of south central Texas. The Center is located at 310 West Ashby, which at the time was considered the “outskirts” of San Antonio. In the late 19th century, the Indian threat prevented the development of the city to the north beyond the San Pedro area. It wasn’t until after the capture of the Apache
Apache
Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...
war chief Geronimo
Geronimo
Geronimo was a prominent Native American leader of the Chiricahua Apache who fought against Mexico and the United States for their expansion into Apache tribal lands for several decades during the Apache Wars. Allegedly, "Geronimo" was the name given to him during a Mexican incident...
that San Antonio real estate developers started building in this area.
Otto Koehler originally built the mansion in 1901-1902, utilizing the services of Carol von Seutter as the chief architect of the mansion. Mr. Koehler came to San Antonio in 1884 and was one of the organizers of the San Antonio Brewing Association, now known as Pearl Brewing Company
Pearl Brewing Company
The Pearl Brewing Company was an American brewery, established in 1883 in San Antonio, Texas. In 1985, Pearl's parent company purchased the Pabst Brewing Company and assumed the Pabst name...
. According to legend, Koehler selected the spot due to its unobstructed view of his brewery, and could determine whether or not his employees were hard at work by the color of the smoke coming from the smokestacks. This Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
style mansion is a good example of the eclectic
Eclecticism
Eclecticism is a conceptual approach that does not hold rigidly to a single paradigm or set of assumptions, but instead draws upon multiple theories, styles, or ideas to gain complementary insights into a subject, or applies different theories in particular cases.It can sometimes seem inelegant or...
architectural style that was popular during the late 19th century and early 20th century.