Alfred Giles Home
San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Alfred Giles is remembered as a major architect who designed many edifices throughout Texas in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in 1853 in Hillingdon, Middlesex County, England, Giles spent his early days as an architect's apprentice in London. For health reasons, he moved to Texas in 1873 and worked with contractor John H. Kampmann. This experience taught Giles much about local materials. During his time in San Antonio, he established his own firm in 1876 and built residences for many historic figures such as Edward Steves (509 King William), Carl Wilhelm August Groos (335 King William) and Alexander Sartor (217 King William). In 1883, Giles constructed two small residences at 306 and 308 King William Street. He and his family lived at 308 King William from 1885 to 1888. The house was later remodeled by Giles and given as a wedding present to his daughter, Beatrice Angela Giles, and her husband, Paul Dreiss. The Dreiss family lived in the house from 1914 to 1931. In the 1980s, King William resident Walter Mathis undertook the restoration of 14 structures in the King William neighborhood, including 308 King William. Mathis added a small porch on the west façade of the house and converted the hayloft of the carriage house into living quarters. The L-plan, Folk Victorian-style house features a carpenter scroll-saw canopy and a king post truss over the front gable windows, plus dentil molding and wood balusters on the porch. The King William Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2015
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Alfred Giles, born in England in 1853, trained as an architect's apprentice in London before moving to Texas for his health in 1873. Settling in San Antonio, he opened his own firm in 1876 and designed grand residences for the city's leading families along King William Street. In 1883 he built two modest homes at 306 and 308 King William, living in the latter and later giving it, remodeled, to his daughter as a wedding gift.
Why it matters
Giles helped shape the architectural character of Gilded Age Texas, and the surviving King William houses illustrate both an immigrant's craft and the neighborhood-scale preservation that saved a historic district for later generations.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- Villa Finalenearby
- Robert Hughes Gallery0.2 mi away
- Villa Finale Visitor Center0.2 mi away
- San Antonio Art League Museum0.2 mi away · TX
- Steves Homestead Museum0.2 mi away
- Texas Highway Patrol Museum0.2 mi away · TX
Attractions
- Yanaguana Garden0.5 mi away
- La Villita0.5 mi away
- River boat boarding0.6 mi away
- Tower of the Americas0.6 mi away · 739 East César E. Chávez Boulevard, San Antonio, TX
- Casa Navarro State Historical Site0.6 mi away
- River boat boarding0.7 mi away
Food & drink
- McDonald's0.7 mi away · 101 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, TX
- The Original Mexican Restaurant0.7 mi away
- Chipotle0.7 mi away · 849 East Commerce Street, San Antonio, TX
- Cafe Ole0.7 mi away
- Agave Bar0.7 mi away
- Lone Star Cafe0.7 mi away
Places to stay
- Hotel Contessa0.6 mi away · 306 West Market Street
- Hilton Palacio del Rio0.6 mi away
- The Monarch San Antonio0.6 mi away
- The Westin Riverwalk, San Antonio0.6 mi away · 420 West Market Street, San Antonio
- Mokara Hotel and Spa0.7 mi away · 212 West Crockett Street, San Antonio, TX
- Grand Hyatt San Antonio0.7 mi away · 600 East Market Street, San Antonio, TX
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Related people
- · Alfred Giles
- · Walter Mathis
Themes & tags
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