Carl Wilhelm August Groos House
San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas
Marker Inscription
One of the founders of the Groos National Bank, Carl W. Goos (1830-1893) came to Texas from Germany in 1848. The Groos home designed by Alfred Giles, was built in 1880 by John H. Campmann. Porch detailing on the Victorian residence reveals Gothic Revival influence. Occupied until 1948 by descendants of Groos and his wife Hulda (Moureau), the limestone structure was acquired in 1957 by the San Antonio area council of Girl Scouts, Inc. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark --1977.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Carl Wilhelm August Groos left Germany for Texas in 1848 and became a founder of the Groos National Bank in San Antonio. In 1880 he built this limestone Victorian home, designed by the noted architect Alfred Giles, where his descendants lived until 1948. The San Antonio Girl Scouts acquired the house in 1957.
Why it matters
The Groos house reflects the influential German immigrant community that helped shape 19th-century San Antonio's commerce and architecture.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- Villa Finalenearby
- Steves Homestead Museum0.1 mi away
- Robert Hughes Gallery0.2 mi away
- Villa Finale Visitor Center0.2 mi away
- San Antonio Art League Museum0.2 mi away · TX
- Texas Highway Patrol Museum0.3 mi away · TX
Attractions
- Yanaguana Garden0.5 mi away
- La Villita0.6 mi away
- Casa Navarro State Historical Site0.7 mi away
- River boat boarding0.7 mi away
- Tower of the Americas0.7 mi away · 739 East César E. Chávez Boulevard, San Antonio, TX
- River boat boarding0.8 mi away
Food & drink
- McDonald's0.8 mi away · 101 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, TX
- The Original Mexican Restaurant0.8 mi away
- Chipotle0.8 mi away · 849 East Commerce Street, San Antonio, TX
- Cafe Ole0.8 mi away
- Agave Bar0.8 mi away
- Lone Star Cafe0.8 mi away
Places to stay
- Hotel Contessa0.7 mi away · 306 West Market Street
- The Westin Riverwalk, San Antonio0.7 mi away · 420 West Market Street, San Antonio
- Hilton Palacio del Rio0.7 mi away
- The Monarch San Antonio0.7 mi away
- Mokara Hotel and Spa0.7 mi away · 212 West Crockett Street, San Antonio, TX
- Grand Hyatt San Antonio0.8 mi away · 600 East Market Street, San Antonio, TX
Places data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Hours and details change — call ahead.
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Related people
- · Carl Wilhelm August Groos
- · Alfred Giles
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Alfred Giles Home
San Antonio, TX
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.
Charles F.A. and Emilie Hummel House
San Antonio, TX
In the decades after the Civil War, San Antonio's prosperous German community left a lasting mark on the city's streets and skyline. Charles F.A. Hummel, orphaned young and raised in the family gun-and-ammunition trade, rose to serve as city treasurer and auditor while remaining a pillar of that German world. In 1884 he and his wife Emilie commissioned architects Wahrenberger and Beckmann to build this ornate two-story limestone house, its Italianate pavilion, full-height gallery, and carved quoins announcing a family that had arrived.
Chabot House
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George Chabot came from England to San Antonio as a commission merchant trading in cotton, wool, and hides, and in 1876 he and his wife Mary built this two-story stone house with its carved galleries. The family held the home until 1940, and among its members was grandson Frederick Charles Chabot, a noted historian of Texas and San Antonio. The house reflects the mercantile prosperity of a frontier city becoming a commercial hub.
Guenther's Upper Mill, Site of
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German-trained millwright Carl H. Guenther founded his San Antonio milling operation in 1859 and, in 1868, built this second dam and mill upstream at a spot closer to town. The upper mill served as an outlet for both of his plants before the family consolidated at the downstream Pioneer Flour Mills around 1900. The vacated building later housed a macaroni factory, an ice cream company, and a garage before being razed in 1926.