Archaeological Monitoring for the Weston Urban Open Space Park, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas

The Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) conducted archaeological monitoring for the Weston Urban Open Space Park in downtown San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas between January 2019 and April 2020. Archaeological monitoring was conducted on behalf of Weston Urban LLC for construction activities associated with the development of the Western Urban Open Space Park. The project was located on private property and privately funded and therefore did not require review by the Texas Historical Commission (THC). However, at the municipal level, the project fell under the City of San Antonio (COSA) Unified Development Code (UDC) (Article 635-630 to 35-634), because the project area, 0.6 hectares in size, is one block north of the Main and Military Plazas Historic District. Construction activities that required monitoring by CAR staff included excavations that were 61 cm or more below surface and in areas most likely to encounter significant cultural resources. Antonia L. Figueroa served as the initial project archaeologist. After her departure from CAR, José Zapata and Clinton McKenzie served as co-project archaeologists. The work was started under the direction of Dr. Paul Shawn Marceaux (former CAR director). Dr. Raymond P. Mauldin subsequently served as principal investigator for the project. During archaeological monitoring four features were encountered. The four features included the previously recorded San Pedro Acequia (41BX337); a basement related to the original location of the Majestic Theatre (1913-1929) and recorded as site 41BX2347; a foundation associated with the First Presbyterian Church, recorded as site 41BX2348; and a series of trash deposits containing artifacts of circa 1830s to 1850 within the northwest quadrant of the project area, recorded as the Cardona Santos-Coy Trash Deposits, site 41BX2394. After consultation with City of San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation (OSA-OHP) and the client, the exposed segment of San Pedro Acequia was shielded with a layer of geotextile fabric and sand and thus protected from impact. Further archaeological work on the remaining features was not recommended and construction proceeded as planned. Ceramics and an ornamental pewter leaf collected from recorded sites are permanently curated at the Center for Archaeological Research according to Texas Historical Commission guidelines. All project documentation, including photographs and field forms, are permanently curated at the CAR facilities in accession file number 2325.