Tax Credit Program Highlight: Maverick Carter House

History

Constructed in 1893 on the north side of San Antonio’s business district, the imposing limestone Maverick-Carter House was built by prominent San Antonio architect, Alfred Giles, for real estate developer William Harvey Maverick. The façade features rusticated stone walls and sills, round and arched windows, a rounded tower with a conical roof, a porte-cochere and a slate roof. Former president of the Texas Bar Association, H.C. Carter, purchased the house in 1914. His second wife Aline, a noted astronomer, musician, humanitarian, and poet laureate of Texas from 1947-49, converted the library into a chapel and constructed an observatory on the roof of the home in 1925. Here, Aline taught astronomy to children and hosted an annual Christmas party for San Antonio orphans. The house remains in the Carter family, who recently opened the first floor as a house museum and for special events.

Rehabilitation Project

The recent project undertaken by the owners shows their focus on stewardship for the house. The interior work included repair and restoration to the elaborate paneling and woodwork throughout the house, a renovation of the kitchen and many of the baths, and extensive repairs to the rooftop observatory – which is still fully functional. Landscaping work and HVAC improvements were also undertaken. The largest work item was replacement of the historic slate roof, which had never been replaced before, and was no small feat with the house’s complex Victorian roofline. The completed roof is purple Vermont slate that was sourced to match the original exactly, and has true copper flashing and gutters in accordance with the historic design.