Monte Vista Residential Historic District

Monte Vista is a residential neighborhood of nearly 100 blocks spread across a rocky hill about 100 feet above downtown San Antonio. Development began slowly in 1882, continued through the turn of the century, and boomed in the 1920s and 1930s. The district takes its name from the largest of its platted subdivisions and also includes Laurel Heights, Summit Place, Oakmont, Northcrest and Gray Gables, among others. Houses range from architect-designed period revival residences to modest vernacular dwellings, bungalows and a few apartment buildings. Craftsman, Colonial Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival styles predominate, and clay tile with stucco or brick veneer was common. Nearly 1,000 historic garages, carriage houses and servants' quarters remain behind the lots. Landscape features include stone gateways, palm-lined parkways, live oaks, rear alleys and early paving such as granitoid and Callaghan. The district counts 1,718 contributing resources, and most properties have kept enough integrity to convey the neighborhood's historic character through 1950.