San Antonio Missions National Historical Park
Also known as: See Also:Yturri-Edmunds House
Why it's listed
Four Spanish colonial missions strung along about eight miles of the San Antonio River make up this 475-acre district in south central San Antonio. From north to south they are Concepción, San José, San Juan Capistrano and Espada. Also included are the Espada and San Juan dams and acequias, the aqueduct carrying the Espada ditch over Piedras Creek, the mission fields, and prehistoric, colonial, Mexican and Anglo-American sites linked to the missions. In all, 86 structures and 21 archeological and historical sites record more than 260 years of history. Each mission followed a medieval European plan of enclosing wall, church, friary and Indian quarters. Much of the eighteenth-century character of the buildings remains, though painted decoration has mostly vanished and the compounds have changed. San José, reconstructed in the 1930s, best shows the original compound. Only the Espada acequia still carries water, and urban growth presses on the setting.
Significance in brief: The district preserves the four eighteenth-century mission compounds and the irrigation works that supported them, along with 86 structures and 21 archeological and historical sites spanning more than 260 years. Much of the eighteenth-century architectural envelope, interior space and sculptural embellishment survives. The Espada acequia still functions, and San José conveys the mission compound most fully because of 1930s reconstruction.
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 78003147, listed November 10, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Mission and Espada Rds. and San Jose Dr., San Antonio |
|---|---|
| County | Bexar County |
| Listed | November 10, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78003147 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architectural style | Spanish colonial mission architecture |
| Areas of significance | Religion, Engineering, Architecture, Commerce, Military, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Altered; the river has been channelized, only the Espada acequia still functions, and Concepción and San José are surrounded by urban development. Southern missions retain a more rural character. |
| Acreage | 477.4 |
| Within district | Mission Parkway |
| Coordinates | 29.33306, -98.45756 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 78003147.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6629903
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.