Herrera Ranch
Why it's listed
Tucked along the Medina River in southern Bexar County, this 30-acre ranch preserves a Tejano family homestead that has stayed with the Herrera family since 1845. Its core is two jacales, built around the 1830s to 1840s using cedar poles set upright in the ground, horizontal cypress laths, stone chinking and adobe mortar, then plastered and whitewashed. Only a handful of such houses survive in Bexar County. Later buildings record the ranch's changing life: a c.1900 workers' dwelling, a 1930s family house, 1940s restrooms, and a dance hall pavilion added to the second jacal for community gatherings. Over time the land shifted from active ranching to family and social events, and today it is used for pasturing horses. The ranch was listed for its role in early Tejano settlement and Hispanic heritage, and for its rare examples of jacal construction. The period of significance runs from 1838 to 1960.
Significance in brief: The ranch is significant under Criterion A for Settlement and Ethnic Heritage/Hispanic as the homestead of early Tejano settlers, held continuously by the Herrera family since 1845. Under Criterion C, its two jacales, built with adobe palisado and wattle-and-daub techniques, are among the very few remaining in Bexar County.
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 10000737, listed September 9, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Old Somerset Rd at the Medina River, Von Ormy |
|---|---|
| County | Bexar County |
| Listed | September 9, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000737 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1838-1960 |
| Architect / builder | Blas Herrera, Jose Maria Herrera |
| Architectural style | Other: Jacal; Center passage plan; No style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Exploration/Settlement, Hispanic |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current functions listed as animal facility and agricultural fields, also marked vacant/not in use; land is leased for pasturing horses and the pavilion shelters horses. |
| Acreage | 30 |
| Coordinates | 29.28812, -98.61192 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 10000737.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q109999841
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.