Mavericks home and the west wall houses

[boba]

George Nelsons book,The Alamo :An Illustrated History,the second edition,on page 73, the maverick home ca1850-60 my question is"Was Maverick's home constructed upon one of the west wall house's (northern postern).The photo shows his house and the famous pecan tree,but I can't tell where the tree starts in relation to the building.Was Mavericks house more toward the east(north-central plaza)?Also the house on the left side of the photo,could anyone identify it?.It looks old and run down.Could that be a west wall house?I believe that I read that Mr Ivey ,who did the dig at the s/w corner,stated that pedro charli's lasted into the early 20th century before it was torn down.What a shame!Any information on the above questions is appreciated...,..........bob

[Rich Curilla]

Bob, I've re-looked at the photo showing the Maverick home and compared it to George's aerial Alamo paintings for 1861 (showing the house already in place) and 1842 (when the ruins were still unaltered). Also very revealing is the 1885 Sanborn Map for the west side of Alamo Plaza. (if you haven't seen this, PM me with your e-mail and I'll send you the section in question).

If I remember correctly, Maverick lived in one of the west wall buildings until he built his house. By the Everett 1846 and 1848 plats, the only structures still standing in that area were what we assume to be the northern postern room (the middle room in the northern Castaneda house) and the southern two rooms of the southern Castaneda house. Logic would suggest that his temporary residence was the latter. Juana Alsbury, her sister and perhaps Bowie (before being moved) stayed there during the siege, and Maverick would have known that.

Comparing the photo with Nelson's painting (and lining up his 1861 painting with his 1842 painting BY OVERLAYING THE ACEQUIA running around the NW corner) it does indeed seem as if his home was built to replace the northern Castaneda house (thus the postern room).

The stone building at the left edge of the photo that appears to be one of the west wall rooms is only a diminishing "maybe so" in my mind. The photo seems to place it in the SW corner of the walled Maverick yard, as does the Sanborn map. This exact site would be west of the west wall, right against the acequia -- thus outside the fort. Also, if it is within the Maverick yard, then it is across Houston Street from the northernmost end of the southern Castaneda house. I think it is just a "modern" out-building that Maverick built -- probably with the stones from the demolished postern room!

The Sanborn map identifies a stone building on this site (west of the west wall) in 1884 as the Maverick Land Office. It is indicated as having two doors on its east face like the building in the photo and is about the same size.

[boba]

Thanks for the information,Rich that photo always made me wonder...bob