Government Hill

Government Hill is one of six San Antonio suburbs that developed during the "Gilded Age" of the city’s history, from 1890 to 1930. The other opulent suburbs of this era are Monte Vista, Alamo Heights, West End (Woodlawn Lake area), Tobin Hill, and Laurel Heights. Each neighborhood features fine examples of turn-of-the-century architecture. The Government Hill Historic District is located immediately south of Fort Sam Houston and is bounded by E. Grayson Street to the north, N. New Braunfels Avenue to the east, IH-35 to the south, and Willow Street to the west. The turn-of-the-century one and two-story commercial structures along North New Braunfels Avenue effectively served as the area's main street. The history of the Government Hill is integrally linked to that of Fort Sam Houston. Initial development of the fort began in the mid 1870s with a donation by the City of San Antonio of 93 acres to the War Department. Construction of Fort Sam Houston began in 1876, and by the late nineteenth century the surrounding area of Government Hill was home to over 12,000 people. The area grew at a prolific rate during the World War I era, and by 1918 Fort Sam Houston included 193 acres.