How one investment banker created Texas’s first National Historic District

Walter Mathis’s Mission to Save King William District

In 1967, San Antonio’s King William District was on the brink of ruin.

Then Walter Mathis, a ninth-generation Texan, lost his Monte Vista home to Highway 281 construction and found a new mission. He bought a run-down 1876 Italianate mansion for $37,500 and spent two years fixing it up.

Mathis named it Villa Finale and went on to buy and restore thirteen more neighborhood homes.

Thanks to his work, King William became San Antonio’s first historic district in 1968 and joined the National Register in 1972.

Today, you can walk these streets and step inside Villa Finale to see Mathis’s vision that saved an entire neighborhood from the wrecking ball.

Highway Construction Kicked Walter Mathis Out of His Home

Walter Mathis got bad news in the 1960s. Highway 281 was coming right through his Monte Vista home.

His friend O’Neil Ford told him about an old mansion from 1876 on King William Street. Ford called the rundown building “the finest home in Texas,” even though it was now a boarding house.

Most fancy Victorian homes in the area looked just as bad.

The once-grand King William neighborhood had fallen apart, with beautiful homes cut up into cheap apartments.

A Texas Banker Comes Home from War with a Plan

Mathis had Texas roots going back to the Canary Islanders who started San Antonio in 1731. After getting a business degree from the University of Texas, he joined the Army Air Corps the day after Pearl Harbor.

After World War II, he came back to San Antonio and became a successful investment banker. He helped with Frito-Lay’s first public offering.

His money from banking let him tackle big projects later in life.

Nobody Thought This Old House Could Be Saved

Mathis bought the mansion for $37,500 in 1967. He started a huge two-year project to fix the house and yard.

He named it Villa Finale because he planned to make it his last home. Neighbors thought he was crazy for putting money into the old place.

But as work moved forward, people took notice.

Seeing the old boarding house turn into a stunning mansion made folks wonder if other homes could be saved too.

One Man Bought 14 Houses to Save a Neighborhood

After finishing Villa Finale, Mathis kept going. He bought three homes across the street.

He fixed them up and sold them to people who promised to keep them nice, offering cheap loans to close the deals. Eventually, he bought fourteen properties throughout King William.

He fully restored eight houses and made basic fixes to the others, adding metal roofs and fixing foundations. He helped young couples buy his restored homes.

Neighbors Joined Forces to Protect Their History

The King William Association started in 1967 as a nonprofit group. Their main goal was simple: “To Make King William Area an Historical District.”

Residents created a one-block art show with food and music to build community spirit. The first King William Fair happened in 1968, raising money to improve the neighborhood.

People planted trees, fixed broken sidewalks, and cleaned up the local park. One man’s project grew into a community movement.

San Antonio Officials Noticed Something Special

City leaders saw the unique historical value of King William. In 1968, they made it San Antonio’s first historic district.

Mathis took a leadership role as chairman of the city’s Board of Review for Historic Sites. He also led the San Antonio Riverwalk Commission.

The historic status meant homeowners needed approval for any outside changes to their houses. This helped keep the neighborhood’s special character as more people moved in.

The Feds Put King William on the Map

King William joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. It became the oldest residential historic district in Texas.

The district grew bigger in 1984 to include smaller cottages between South Alamo and South St. Mary’s streets.

Mathis often walked the streets checking on preservation work.

When banks refused loans for King William properties, he often loaned his own money to help homeowners restore houses properly.

The Mansion Filled with 12,000 Treasures

Mathis collected over 12,000 decorative arts pieces and furniture items. His collection included 19th and 20th century antiques, silver, ceramics, and fine art.

He got really interested in Napoleon Bonaparte stuff and gathered quite a collection. He also bought Texas art by Mary Bonner and Julian and Robert Onderdonk.

Visitors to his home enjoyed hearing his antique music machines, which he loved to play for guests.

Preservation Experts Called Him a National Hero

Mathis received the DuPont Crowninshield Award in 2003. This award is the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s highest honor.

They gave it to him for his lifelong work saving historic places in Texas. He also got the Ruth Lester Award, the top preservation honor in Texas.

The San Antonio Conservation Society added to his awards with the Amanda Cartwright Taylor Award. His work had gone from a personal project to nationally recognized achievement.

Villa Finale Became a Museum for Everyone

In 2004, Mathis gave Villa Finale and all his collections to the National Trust. He also set up a large endowment to pay for running the museum.

When he died in December 2005 at age 86, his legacy was secure.

The National Trust took over the property and began the huge job of cataloging his 12,000-piece collection.

Villa Finale became the first and only National Trust Historic Site in Texas, preserving his vision for future generations.

Thousands of Visitors Now Tour His Last Home

The National Trust finished restoration work between 2009 and 2010. Villa Finale: Museum & Gardens opened to the public in October 2010.

Today the museum offers tours, educational programs, and special events throughout the year. King William stands as a perfect example of how an old urban neighborhood can come back to life.

Mathis’s preservation work lives on through both the museum and the thriving historic district that surrounds it, visited by thousands of history lovers each year.

Visiting King William Historic District, San Antonio, Texas

You can explore Walter Mathis’s preservation legacy at Villa Finale, 401 King William Street. Self-guided tours cost $12 for adults Tuesday-Saturday 10am-4pm, with guided tours Thursdays at 3:30pm for $15.

Buy tickets at the on-site Mathis Gallery and store bags in lockers before entering. The gardens are free to explore during the same hours.

Tours come in English and Spanish, and you need advance permission for professional photography.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

Read more from this brand:

• This cool Fort Worth landmark exists due to dumb luck and bad weather
• Is Sam Houston the most hardcore Texan ever? The Horseshoe Bend feat
• The ‘Angel of Goliad’: Texas’s Most Badass Mexican Hero You’ve Never Heard Of