Around the beginning of the 20th Century, few Texas cattlemen boasted as a high a profile as Herbert L. Kokernot, president of the Cattle Raisers’ Association of Texas.
After Kokernot settled in San Antonio, he hired California architect Russell Brown to build his daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth Hardie, a home on the same Monte Vista street where he resided, according to Donald Everett’s book San Antonio’s Monte Vista: Architecture and Society in a Gilded Age.
Although Hardie’s Spanish-style home cost just $50,000 when it was built in 1928, it recently hit the market for just under $3 million. That listing price may sound steep, but careful renovation work over the years has kept the 4,800-square foot property’s charms intact, both inside and out, according to its listing agent.
The two-story home’s exterior stucco and tile roof aren’t unusual for high-end Alamo City homes of the 1920s, but the interior had the novelty of being modeled to resemble that of a 16th century villa, according to Everett’s book.
Photos from the sales listing make it clear that those distinctive touches remain, including a dramatic spiral staircase, hefty wrought-iron chandeliers and intricate tile work in both a breakfast nook and a downstairs bathroom. Numerous sweeping archways and a rooftop terrace overlooking the pool complete the very Old World feel.
This home is listed by Mallory Baird with Kuper Sotheby’s International Realty.
All photos by Realtor.com.
