Governor's Palace patio and fountain, San Antonio, TX, 1946

About this postcard

The patio of the Spanish Governor's Palace in San Antonio centers on a stone-rimmed lily pond and fountain, with palms, banana plants, and dense greenery set against pale stucco walls. The floor is laid in a red, white, and yellow geometric tile pattern, and an arched passage opens behind the pond. The caption calls the building characteristic of Spanish grandees' homes and dates it to 1722; the palace served as the residence and office of Spanish colonial governors in San Antonio. By the mid-1940s the restored building was a historic house museum and a stop for tourists in a city that promoted its Spanish colonial past.