A couple took pictures in the park before getting married on Thursday, Oct. 14.
While walking through the oldest park in Texas, I came across a cute couple taking wedding photos at the historic site of San Antonio. They said: “It’s so lovely here and we love being together. I agree, San Pedro Springs Park has a charm.
But what they didn’t know (and what some don’t know) is that San Pedro Springs Park is not only the oldest park in Texas, but also the oldest municipal park in the United States. Once I told them the news, Jasmine and Michael Treviño were even more enlightened when they took photographs of land dating back to 1729.
Only one public park in the country is older: Boston Common, dating back to 1630, to the Department of Parks and Recreation.
The pool of San Pedro Springs Park, near 1927-1931. La swimming pool, opened in 1923 as the first municipal swimming pool in San Antonio.
This granite monument in San Pedro Springs Park, placed by the Pioneer Freighters Association in 1924, commemorates the service of men transporting goods in Texas in the mid-nineteenth century.
Located on land owned by the Spanish government and intended for public use in the eighteenth century, San Pedro Springs Park has accumulated many other people over about 12,000 years, according to the city. Hunter-gatherers discovered water, food and stones to make weapons. , and Spanish explorers established their first camps here in the late seventeenth century.
In 1709, Fathers Antonio de San Buenaventura de Olivares and Isidro Félix de Espinosa named the waters “Manantiales de San Pedro”, in honor of the town. In 1731-1734, the Spanish built a ditch to send water to the village for irrigation and domestic use.
Sam Houston, a Virginia-born lawyer, soldier and enduring fame as a leader of the Texas Revolution, spoke at a political rally here in 1860. During the Civil War, prisoners were also held in the park, according to the city. .
John Jacob Duerler, a Swiss landscaper, one of the park’s first citizens and caretaker, in 1852 had purchased land adjacent to the city’s St. Peter’s Springs and leased the land surrounding the springs. Over the next 10 years, Duerler planted many trees and shrubs. He also created ponds for sailing, fishing and swimming, according to the Texas State Historical Association. He also built public baths, a tropical garden, picnic and concession areas, a small zoo, an aviary, a racecourse and a pavilion for concerts and dances.
The city then began managing the park after Duerler’s death in 1874 and after he leased it to Frederick Kerbel from 1883 to 1890.
The 1998-2000 renovation of San Pedro Springs Park retained many historic uses and restored the landscape and structural features that are vital reminders of the park’s long and attractive history. San Pedro Springs Park was then listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
San Pedro Springs Park in San Antonio is the oldest park in Texas and one of the oldest municipal parks in the United States. Its history dates back to the beginning of colonization in 1729.
After the renovation, the park reopened with bridges, benches, flower beds and stone-lined paths, which are still there to this day. A municipal pool fed by a spring built in San Pedro Springs Park in 1922, followed by a network games room and secondary library in 1929; all are also still in use.
Walking in the countryside, there are not many trails to follow. It is surrounded by streets and neighborhoods, so you do not exactly escape the bustling noises of the city. However, you can hang out on the playground, on benches, or under tall trees. I saw children playing, a teenager riding a skateboard, a nurse walking the park’s outdoor trail, and families reunited. The pool, however, was not yet open, the sounds of springs hitting the wall were peaceful.
San Pedro Springs Park has many tennis courts and a swimming pool.
In 1954, the McFarlin Tennis Center was built. That same year, the pool was rebuilt, thanks to the investment of Howard E. Butt, but it has city water. The tennis center expanded in the 1970s and the park included paved streets and parking.
Today, the McFarlin Tennis Center offers 22 lighted hard courts with a professional tent, lockers, showers and a variety of amenities. Courts can be reserved for corporate tennis events and open tennis games. clinics, tournaments and leagues.
In February 2022, the town held at San Pedro Springs Park after completing $1. 8 million in renovations, the fourth primary in the park’s long history. The 46-acre recreational land now features new, staggered parking areas, new lighting, a finished trail walking area and more than a hundred new trees, plantings and irrigation systems. The renovations were a collaborative effort between the city’s public works, parks and recreation department, and District 1 Councilman Mario Bravo as a component of the voter-approved 2017-2022 bond program.
Yes, this isn’t a flashy park with hills and plenty of trails, but it’s captivating with a lovely history. I would recommend grabbing a book, hosting a picnic, or going for a walk.