One of the most imposing homes on San Antonio Street, and arguably the one with the most colorful history, is the large Greek Revival manse wrapping around one corner of San Antonio and Endicott streets.  With its stately columns, broad upstairs/downstairs verandas, and sprawling gardens, this house absolutely commands attention.

Built in 1909 by Ed J.L. Green, the structure served as a comfortable family residence for over thirty years.  But during WWII it was sold to become a boarding house.  In later years the home served as a nursing home, funeral parlor, and finally the first home of today’s Hill Country Christian School.  By the mid-1980s, the years of institutional use had left it in serious disrepair with demolition just over the horizon.

When local builder, John Roberts, decided to purchase and renovate the carved-up building, he faced a number of challenges, not the least of which was determining where original walls and rooms had even been located.  For example, it turned out that today’s unusual floor plan, with its elongated rear extension, came from rotating the house’s original three-carriage livery barn onto a new foundation adjoining the home’s rear wall.

His extensive remodeling project did not stop even when he sold it in 1994 to Dr. Joan Matthews, as she continued what Mr. Roberts had begun.   Many of the original features, such as pocket doors, historic light fixtures, hardwood floors, and wavy-glass windows were restored.  Today it is again a warm and livable personal residence.  “This is such a pleasant house” says Dr. Matthews. “I especially love the way the light streams in the windows all along the back.  I painted every room in soft ice cream colors to reflect its pleasant atmosphere.”

If Mr. Roberts put his personal stamp on the house’s interior, Dr. Matthews’ special pride and joy has been its exterior.  When she purchased it in 1994, three-quarters of the backyard was covered by a crumbling asphalt parking lot.  Today, that same space is alive with fruit trees, gardens, roses, fountains, a patio, and even a fish pond.   The gardens are lush, colorful and inviting, as befits an elegant, architectural gem.

Also befitting to such a historic home are mysterious tales of things hidden within its walls...among them a safe and a time capsule.  The old walls have kept their secrets well.