A home built in 1892 has hit the market in San Antonio’s historic Monte Vista neighborhood, and it comes with lots of quirky, historic charm for a $695,000 price tag.
As one of the oldest structures in the neighborhood, the four-bedroom, three-bath residence is a time capsule of the Victorian age in which it was constructed.
Throughout the single-story structure, high ceilings and elaborate transoms offer an old form of temperature regulation that predates air conditioning. Further old-timey temperature regulation comes in the form of dual fireplaces in the living room.
Since lightbulbs weren’t yet common in homes, 7-foot windows bathe the space in natural light as another charming — and practical — historic detail.
The living room also has a window-lined “bump out” protruding from the front of the house. This design in Victorian homes was often to accommodate a casket for home funerals and extended viewings, since loved ones frequently took a while to arrive by carriage.
One would hope that a house this old would have at least one clawfoot bathtub, and you would be right — it’s located in the primary bathroom. However, the secondary bathroom is updated with a separate walk-in shower and a Japanese soaking tub, for a surprising touch of the modern.
Perhaps one of the quirkiest details of the property isn’t even located in the main house but above the two-car garage. There, a three-room “treehouse apartment” has a second-story deck “perched in the tree canopy,” as its listing states, which could provide separate living quarters or a short- or long-term rental.
This home is listed by Edward Alanis with Keller Williams Realty.
All photos and listing info via Realtor.com.
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This article appears in Oct. 2-15, 2025.