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Post by neferetus on Mar 30, 2006 15:23:30 GMT -5
THE ALAMO, 1911In 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
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Post by neferetus on Mar 31, 2006 11:57:29 GMT -5
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.
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Post by neferetus on Mar 31, 2006 13:48:46 GMT -5
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.
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Post by neferetus on Mar 31, 2006 16:46:52 GMT -5
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.
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Post by Greg C. on Apr 1, 2006 14:08:33 GMT -5
the hump was added not long after that, right?
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Post by neferetus on May 5, 2006 22:56:10 GMT -5
The godawful Hugo and Schmeltzer building, atop the Long Barrack, 1890.
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Post by Bromhead24 on May 21, 2006 8:40:38 GMT -5
the hump was added not long after that, right? The Army added the "Hump" in the late 1840's
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Post by neferetus on Nov 8, 2007 20:48:32 GMT -5
The changing face of the Long Barrack. From George Nelson's THE ALAMO: A PICTORAL HISTORY
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RebAl
Senior Member
Civil War Photographer
Posts: 296
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Post by RebAl on Nov 9, 2007 11:30:02 GMT -5
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?
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Post by neferetus on Nov 9, 2007 12:12:07 GMT -5
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.
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