| Housed in a brick church building at 1150 South Alamo Street, Casbeers At The Church has a rich and interesting history. Mr. Beverly Spillman designed the building, which is an excellent example of "mission" style architecture. Construction was completed in 1912. The building was the home of the Alamo Methodist church until 1968 when the congregation disbanded in 1968 and merged with another congregation east of San Antonio.
It then sat vacant until a Sunday in early 1976 when Bill and Marcie Larsen drove by and were charmed by its beauty. By that afternoon they owned the building. Renovations included turning the lower level Sunday School rooms into a restaurant, and adding a stage to the upper sanctuary. Cushions were added to the original wooden semicircular pews. The European Tiffany-style stained glass windows are intact, and the pressed tin ceiling adds to the historic charm.
In 1977, the renovations earned the coveted San Antonio Conservation Society Award. Located in the King William Historic District, it is surrounded by beautiful mansions and quaint cottages built by the German immigrants who helped found San Antonio. Both the bus and trolley lines run past the front doors, and many tourists find the short stroll from downtown hotels pleasant.
The old building took on a new life in 1988 with the dual opening of the Alamo Street Restaurant and the Alamo Street Theatre. The same year, the building was honored by being listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Two features went into this honor: the uniqueness of its architecture, and the fact that it was the first known church building of this type to feature a sloped floor in the sanctuary area.
In 2005, Paul Alan Boskind purchased the building and began extensive renovations including an outside dining area.
In 2008 Barbara Wolfe and Steve Silbas fell in love with the building believing it to be the perfect place to build on their tradition of enchiladas and live original roots music. |
