Bonham, James Butler, Elementary School
Also known as: Bonham Elementary School
Why it's listed
Bonham Elementary School, at 925 South St. Mary's Street in San Antonio, was built in 1889 to serve the King William area, then the city's wealthiest residential neighborhood. The main building is a two-story load-bearing brick structure trimmed with pink granite, with a hip roof, wide granite segmental arches with keystones over the entries, and wooden eaves with decorative consoles. Two rectangular wings, added later, connect to the main block through narrow two-story passageways. Later changes include a cafeteria in 1930, a library enlargement in 1966, and new lighting in 1971. The school is named for James Butler Bonham, who died at the Alamo in 1836. Enrollment reached 532 students in 1903 and peaked at 590 in 1962. The school is regarded as one of the best and oldest Victorian-style school buildings in the city, and local support favored renovating it rather than replacing it. Its location near downtown also made it adaptable for continued use.
Significance in brief: The school is cited as one of the best and oldest examples of San Antonio school buildings in the Victorian style typical of the King William area. It is also noted for its local associations with the neighborhood and with education, as many prominent business and civic leaders attended. Community support for renovating rather than demolishing it is also noted.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 78002890, listed November 17, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 925 S. St. Mary's St., San Antonio |
|---|---|
| County | Bexar County |
| Listed | November 17, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002890 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Victorian |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in use as a school in good condition at the time of the nomination (1977-78); the 1930 cafeteria was intended to be excluded from the nominated boundary. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 29.41418, -98.48922 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 78002890.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000427
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.