History of The Long Barrack

[neferetus]

THE ALAMO, 1911

In 1877, a prosperous French-born merchant Augustese Honore Grenet purchased the Long Barrack from Anthony D. Pellicer, the bishop of San Antonio, for $20,000 with the intent of turning it into a merchantile establishment. It was at this time that the upper doors were cut in the Long Barrack limestone to allow for a wooden 2nd story arcade.

In 1911, long after the Long Barrack had ceased to be a commercial establishment, Clara Driscoll and Adina de Zavala of the Daughter's of The Republic of Texas quarreled over the fate of the building. While Driscoll wanted to tear down the Long Barrack altogether and make a park around the church, de Zavala wanted to restore the barrack as it looked back in its mission days. Though Texas governor, Oscar B. Colquitt also favored a full scale restoration, in 1913, the upper story of the Long Barrack was demolished by order of Lieutenant Governor Will Mayes, who issued the decree when Governor Colquitt was out of state.

As the debris from the demolished 2nd story was incorporated into the reconstructed walls and arcade in 1916. even though it is a reconstruction, much of the stonework dates back to the mission days.

Roofless and overgrown by grass and ivy, it was not until Hemisfair, 1968 that the Long Barrack was roofed and turned into a museum.


THE LONG BARRACK , 1973

[neferetus]

Stepping a little further back in time, here's Alamo Plaza in
1910, showing the Hugo and Schmeltzer * (Grenet) building
atop the Long Barrack.

And here's the opposite view, taken in 1911 from within the
Alamo courtyard, behind the Long Barrack. The Hugo and
Schmeltzer (Grenet) building is just starting to come down.
Yeeeee Haaaa!

* NOTE: The business firm of Hugo and Schmeltzer purchased
the Long Barrack, upon Honore Grenet's death. It was they who
later sold the building to the DRT.

[neferetus]

Edmund Blake U.S.A., was the first artist to do an architecuraly proportionate view of the Long Barrack. Done in 1846, his drawing is about as close as we will come to knowing what the building looked like at the time of the battle.

[neferetus]

Here is the Long Barrack in 1848, after the U.S. Army had restored it for use as a Quatermaster's Depot. Watercolor by Edward Everett.

[Greg C.]

the hump was added not long after that, right?

[neferetus]

The godawful Hugo and Schmeltzer
building, atop the Long Barrack, 1890.

[Bromhead24]

admin said:

the hump was added not long after that, right?

The Army added the "Hump" in the late 1840's

[neferetus]

The changing face of the Long Barrack.
From George Nelson's THE ALAMO: A PICTORAL HISTORY

[RebAl]

I think we are extremely lucky that the whole place didn't get demolished. I mean what would it have been like with no Alamo?

[neferetus]

I don't think that the churh was ever in any imminent danger of being razed. But, if Clara Driskoll had had her way, the church would now stand alone, surrounded by an open park. We have Adina de Zavala to thank for the saving of the Long Barrack.