Interesting how a simple lot at 138 Goliad Street can tell such a multifaceted story. This is the Eagar House Plaque. It marks a spot rich with history.
Let’s step back in time. Imagine San Antonio in the early 1800s. Vicente Acosta owned this very property. This was thanks to a grant from the Spanish government. But his ownership was short-lived. Acosta participated in the Hidalgo revolution. As a result, the land was confiscated.
Later, Wilson Irvine Riddle, an Irish-American, purchased the land. He faced his own challenges during the Mexican revolution. Riddle even saved his family by moving them to Goliad in 1842. His daughter Sarah holds a unique distinction. She was the first American girl born in San Antonio. Fifty years later, in 1892, Sarah Riddle Eagar sold this lot to Emanuel Longini for $2,500. That’s how the Eagar House got its name.
Emanuel Longini’s story is also fascinating. He immigrated from Alsace, France. He sought to escape the crushing poverty there. Longini became a U.S. citizen in 1878. He worked for M. Halff and Brother. Later, he co-owned the Longini Mexican Hat Company.
In 1882, Longini married Rosa Levy in Galveston. The Longini family lived here until 1911. They then exchanged it for 582 acres in Dimmit County.
The Herrmann family purchased the Eagar House in 1916. William and Augusta Herrmann were both German immigrants. They moved here from Kansas. The Herrmanns enjoyed San Antonio’s warm climate. Augusta even joined the Marigold Bunco Club. The Herrmann family owned the home until it was sold to the Urban Renewal Agency in 1964.
The Eagar House itself reflects Victorian Eclectic style. It was popular in the 1890s. The house has an asymmetrical facade and irregular floor plans. The standing seam metal roof is believed to be original. If so, it has withstood over 125 years of Texas heat.
The carriage house was moved to make way for Beethoven Hall additions. It’s the only wood structure in the urban park district.
In 1987, the city designated the Eagar House as Historically Exceptional. The Texas Historical Commission also designated it as a State Archeological Landmark.
During HemisFair ’68, the Eagar House transformed. It became Casa San Miguel, a Philippine-themed restaurant. The carriage house became a Swiss bakery/creperie. It was called Creperie Parisiennes.
The Eagar House Plaque reminds us of the many layers of history. It connects us to the families who lived here. It also connects us to the broader story of San Antonio. It stands as a testament to perseverance, adaptation, and cultural exchange.