Monitoring of Sandstone Stair Removal at the San José Grist Mill, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas

In August 2014, the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) conducted monitoring of the removal of sandstone flagstone steps at the Grist Mill at Mission San José y San Miguel de Aguayo in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas. The work was funded by Los Compadres on behalf of the San Antonio Missions National Historic Park and under the review of the Texas Historical Commission. The work was conducted pursuant to Texas Antiquities Permit No. 6956, with Dr. Raymond P. Mauldin serving as Principal Investigator and Clinton M. M. McKenzie as Project Archaeologist. CAR monitored the removal of the WPA era steps and treads in an effort to determine if Spanish Colonial deposits or structural elements underlay the later work. No Colonial elements were identified, and the step refurbishment project proceeded following approval from both the National Park Service and the Texas Historical Commission. No artifacts were collected. Records generated during the project were prepared for curation according to Texas Historical Commission guidelines. They are permanently curated at CAR at UTSA.