HistoricSiteMarkers
Reconstruction & Gilded Age

William and Mary Ann Richter House

San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas

Marker Inscription

La Villita neighborhood reflects the influence of immigrants as San Antonio grew, from Spanish settlers in the late 1760s, to German, Swiss and French families coming in the 1840s. Records indicate William and Mary Ann (Mozer) Richter, both German immigrants, built their home here in 1868-69, reportedly for access to leeches in the acequia, or irrigation ditch. A barber, licensed also as surgeon and dentist, Richter used the leeches in his practice. His heirs sold the home in 1947 to the Vsidro Zepeda family, who occupied it until the 1990s. Retaining its historic design, the stuccoed limestone building serves as a reminder of the early German population of the city. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2002

Erected by Texas Historical Commission

The Story

San Antonio's La Villita drew waves of newcomers, from Spanish settlers in the 1760s to German, Swiss, and French families in the 1840s. German immigrants William and Mary Ann Richter built this stuccoed limestone home in 1868-69, reportedly for its access to leeches in the neighboring acequia. Richter, licensed as barber, surgeon, and dentist, used those leeches in a practice that reflected the medical customs of the day.

Why it matters

It preserves the everyday world of German immigrants who helped remake San Antonio's oldest neighborhood in the 19th century.

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Related people

  • · William Richter
  • · Mary Ann Mozer Richter

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