Standing Structure Survey of a Portion of San Pedro Creek, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas

The Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) of The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) was contracted by the San Antonio River Authority (SARA) to conduct a Standing Structure Survey along the upper portion of San Pedro Creek beginning at the San Pedro Creek flood diversion tunnel and ending just northeast of South Frio (Alamo) Street. The Standing Structure Survey is part of restoration efforts, sponsored by SARA, along a portion of San Pedro Creek. These restoration efforts involve bank stabilization, riparian vegetation restoration, and the assessment of the architectural resources distributed along the banks of the creek within the project area. The goal of this Standing Structure Survey was to inspect all architectural resources found within the project area and determine whether they are eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), and if eligible, whether they warrant listing. From December 2012 through March 2013, CAR carried out this Standing Structure Survey in collaboration with the Center for Cultural Sustainability (CCS) of the School of Architecture at UTSA. Before starting the fieldwork, we prepared a GIS base map of the project area. All properties that fell within 150 feet from the centerline of San Pedro Creek were included within the project area. Using these parameters, we visited and photographed 70 properties. Of these, 26 properties are recommended as not eligible for listing on the National Register because they do not meet the minimum age requirement and/or do not possess attributes related to the four NRHP eligibility criteria. Of the remaining 44 properties, 35 are considered potentially eligible for listing on the National Register under one of more of the eligibility criteria. Of these 44 properties, 9 properties are already listed on the National Register. Twelve bridges, three footbridges, and the retaining walls that line the channel of San Pedro Creek from the northern beginning point of the project Area of Potential Effect (APE) to its southern terminus at South Alamo were also inspected. Four of the twelve bridges and all three footbridges are potentially eligible for listing on the NRHP. Finally, several segments of retaining walls along the western and eastern banks of the creek are recommended as potentially eligible for listing on the NRHP. In a letter dated June 29, 2014, the Texas Historical Commission (THC) concurred with these recommendations.