Halff House
San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Mayer Halff (1836-1905) immigrated to Texas from Lauterborg, Alsace Lorraine, France, in 1850. In partnership with his brother Solomon, he opened a mercantile business in Liberty and began a cattle ranching enterprise. They moved to San Antonio in 1864 and established M. Halff & Brother, a wholesale dry goods company. Their ranching interests grew to include over a million acres of land in Texas and other states, and they also beame interested in banking. Mayer Halff purchased land at this site in 1890, and three years later he and his wifre Rachel (Hart) had this house built for their family. Exhibiting Eastlake and Richardsonian Romanesque stylistic influences, the Victorian-Era house features a prominent round arch entry, two-story crenellated bay, two-story full-length side porch with Eastlake detailing. Originally built on Goliad Street, the house remained for construction of the Hemisfair facilities in the 1960s. The Halff family played an important role in the development of San Antonio and the Texas cattle industry. Many of their descendants, some of whom married into the pioneer Oppenheimer Family, still reside in the city. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1966
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Mayer Halff immigrated to Texas from Alsace-Lorraine in 1850 and, with his brother Solomon, built M. Halff & Brother into a leading San Antonio wholesale dry-goods house while amassing more than a million acres of ranch land and moving into banking. In 1893 he had this ornate Victorian home built, blending Eastlake and Richardsonian Romanesque styles. Threatened by construction of the 1960s HemisFair, the house was moved to preserve it.
Why it matters
The Halffs' rise from immigrant merchants to cattle and banking magnates embodies the entwined stories of immigration and enterprise that built the Texas economy.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- Instituto Cultural de Mexiconearby
- Briscoe Western Art Museum0.2 mi away · 210 West Market Street
- Texas Highway Patrol Museum0.3 mi away · TX
- San Antonio Art League Museum0.3 mi away · TX
- Louis Tussaud’s Waxworks0.3 mi away
- Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium0.4 mi away
Attractions
- Yanaguana Gardennearby
- La Villita0.2 mi away
- River boat boarding0.2 mi away
- Tower of the Americas0.2 mi away · 739 East César E. Chávez Boulevard, San Antonio, TX
- River boat boarding0.3 mi away
- Sea Life Aquarium0.3 mi away · 849 East Commerce Street, San Antonio, TX
Food & drink
- Chipotle0.2 mi away · 849 East Commerce Street, San Antonio, TX
- McDonald's0.2 mi away · 101 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, TX
- Margaritaville0.3 mi away · 849 East Commerce Street, San Antonio, TX
- Which Wich?0.3 mi away
- Cafe Ole0.3 mi away
- Starbucks0.3 mi away · 849 East commerce, San Antonio, TX
Places to stay
- The Monarch San Antonio0.1 mi away
- Hilton Palacio del Rio0.2 mi away
- Grand Hyatt San Antonio0.2 mi away · 600 East Market Street, San Antonio, TX
- Marriott Riverwalk0.2 mi away
- Hotel Contessa0.3 mi away · 306 West Market Street
- Marriott Rivercenter0.3 mi away · 101 Bowie Street, San Antonio, TX
Places data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Hours and details change — call ahead.
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Related people
- · Mayer Halff
- · Solomon Halff
- · Rachel Hart Halff
Themes & tags
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