San Antonio Japanese Tea Gardens
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| San Antonio Japanese Tea Gardens | |
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| (U.S. National Register of Historic Places) | |
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| Location: | San Antonio, Texas, USA |
| Coordinates: | |
| Built/Founded: | 1899 |
| Added to NRHP: | October 22, 2004 |
The San Antonio Japanese Tea Gardens (also known as the Sunken Gardens) is a registered Texas historical landmark in San Antonio, Texas. The gardens opened in an abandoned limestone rock quarry in the early 20th century.
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[edit] History
The San Antonio Japanese Tea Gardens (also known as the Sunken Gardens) in the U.S. state of Texas were developed on land donated by George W. Brackenridge, president of the San Antonio Water Works Company, to the City in 1899, in an abandoned limestone rock quarry used since the mid-1800s. Between July 1917 and May 1918, City Parks Commissioner Ray Lambert used prison labor to shape the quarry into a complex that included walkways, stone arch bridges, an island and a Japanese pagoda.
At the entrance to the gardens, Mexican-born artist Dionicio Rodriguez (1891-1955) replicated a Japanese Torii gate in his unique style of concrete construction that imitated wood. In 1926, at the city's invitation, Kimi Eizo Jingu, a local Japanese-American artist, moved to the garden and opened the Bamboo Room, where light lunches and tea were sold. Kimi and Miyoshi Jingu maintained the gardens, lived in the park, and raised eight children until they were evicted with the rise of anti-Japanese sentiment of World War II.
The gardens were renamed the Chinese Tea Gardens, and a Chinese-American family, Ted and Ester Wu, opened a snack bar in the pagoda until the early 1960s. In 1984, the city restored the original “Japanese Tea Garden” designation in a ceremony attended by Jingu's children and representatives of the Japanese government.
For years the gardens sat in neglect and disrepair. Since the park is open to the public, has no admission, and has minimal security patrols, it became a haven for graffitti artists and the homeless. The city came very close on numerous occasions to cutting the garden's funding and closing it permanently. The community rallied though, and pushed to keep the park open.
Recently, in the summer of 2006, the pagoda and other buildings were restored. The other features, such as the pond, waterfall, and paths were touched up, but still remain as they were, not pristine, but not too bad either.
In recognition of the Tea Garden's origin as a rock quarry that played a prominent role in the development of the cement business, as well as its later redevelopment as a garden, the site is designated as a Texas Civil Engineering Landmark, a Registered Texas Historic Landmark, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The seating currently comprises 872 permanently installed seats and has the option of adding folding chairs for a total general admittance of 2,700. The general admittance (standing room) to the fenced grounds of the theater is 6,000 spectators.
[edit] Location
Northwestern edge of Brackenridge Park, near the San Antonio Zoo:
- 3853 N. St. Mary's Street
- San Antonio, Texas 78212
[edit] Images
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[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Walls, Thomas K. The Japanese Texans. University of Texas. Institute of Texan Cultures. San Antonio, 2002. ISBN 0-86701-021-5.[1]
[edit] External links
- City of San Antonio Parks & Recreation Department A History of the Japanese Tea Garden
- San Antonio Convention and Visitor's Bureau Description of the gardens
- Listing in Texas Historical Commission Source Listing of the gardens by the THC
- Russell, Jan Jarboe. Return to Glory? San Antonio Express-News. Oct 24, 2004 San Antonio columnist describes history of gardens
- Arkansas Sculptures of Dionicio Rodriguez The Artist who designed the entrance gate
- Handbook of Texas Online Article describing Dionicio Rodriguez
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- Satellite image from WikiMapia, Google Maps or Windows Live Local
- Street map from MapQuest or Google Maps
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image from TerraServer-USA
