Richardsonian Romanesque home built in 1893
Alfred Giles, an architect from England who lived in San Antonio, designed this magnificent 23-room home of quarried limestone for William Maverick, son of Samuel Maverick, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence.
Maverick, a real estate investor, and his wife, Emily, had five children, but the marriage did not last. Emily moved to Europe, and William’s mother moved in to help with the kids. They lived in the home, originally situated on the banks of the San Antonio River, until 1910.
In 1914, Henry Champe “H.C.” Carter, a local attorney, bought the house. He and his second wife, Aline, who was 31 years his junior, had three sons, Champe, Frank and David, whom they raised in the home. After the terrible 1921 flood that severely impacted downtown San Antonio, the river was re-routed to help with flood control.
Early feminist who put her education to work
Aline, who loved astronomy, added an observatory to the roof of the house in 1925 and hosted stargazing parties as well as children who were interested in learning about the heavens.
In addition to the stars, Aline loved words. She was named the Poet Laureate of Texas in 1947, and she was the co-founder of Texas Poetry Day, which lead to National Poetry Day that is celebrated on October 15.
Aline also was also a musician, and she played harp for orphans and treated them to an annual Christmas party at her home. Her good works extended to inmates she taught how to read at the San Antonio jail and the juvenile detention center.
“It is Mrs. Carter’s rule, whenever possible, to accept all invitations to speak, and she goes into jails and other bleak places where her radiant personality reveals her belief in the brotherhood of man.” (Poets Laureate of Texas, 1932-1966)
Grand home now museum and event space
Aline’s children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren have turned the mansion into a center of learning, especially related to Aline’s passions: astronomy, music, poetry and visual arts. School tours come through on a regular basis.
Aline, a member of the nearby St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, converted the downstairs library into a chapel designed by Ethel Wilson Harris, who also designed the observatory. Aline also had Ethel build the Chapel on the Dunes in Port Aransas, Texas.
Side note: Aline’s Aunt Flo, an artist whose work is featured throughout the home, was best friends with Clara Driscoll, a savior of the Alamo.
Step into the past
The Maverick Carter House, located at 119 Taylor Street in downtown San Antonio, is open every first and third Sunday from noon until 3 p.m. for self-guided tours. A donation of $10 per person is suggested to help with educational programming.
Private Group Tours and Guided Tours are possible by emailing maverickcarterhouse@gmail.com for availability.
Parking is located at the back of the house, 108 Auditorium Circle, on a first-come, first-served basis, and at the Tobin Garage. Please do not park at the Toltec Apartments next door.
Denise Barkis Richter, Ph.D., author of “San Antonio’s Passport to Fun,” has been blogging about San Antonio since June of 2010. So that you never miss a post, follow her at facebook.com/SanAntonioTourist. Her love affair with the Alamo City began at Hemisfair in 1968. She moved to San Antonio in 1979 as an 18-year-old college student, and San Antonio has been her home ever since. Denise completed certification to become a professional tour guide in 2019. Please contact her at sanantoniotourist at gmail dot come if you’d like for her to curate a fabulous San Antonio experience for you!
