San Antonio’s high water table and abundance of dense limestone make basements a rarity, so on the rare occasion they turn up in residential properties, it’s always good to see them put to use for something other than storage.
Case in point: this 1937 stone-exterior home recently listed for sale in the Monticello Park Historic District. The two-story home listed for $825,000 includes a finished basement that’s been converted into a game room with a wet bar and a half-bath.
Enclosed by exquisitely milled wood paneling — no, we don’t mean that tacky ’70s prefab stuff — the subterranean lair has a certain rustic elegance. There’s even enough room for a billiards table, a poker table and a modern entertainment center. A shelf for storing keepsakes, knickknacks or items won during high-stakes gambling sessions even runs around a good portion of the room.
There’s a lot to admire about the four-bedroom, three-and-a-half dwelling beyond its underground fun room, though. The property has been lovingly restored to keep its early-1900s elegance, including its barrel ceilings, plaster-on-lathe walls and original bathrooms.
The property also comes with a garage apartment and a three-car garage with a front and rear driveway — an arrangement sometimes referred to as a bootlegger’s garage. And in an intriguing, if slightly menacing touch, gargoyles perch over the rear drive.
This home is listed by Enid Barrios with Motif Boutique Brokerage LLC.
All photos and listing info via Realtor.com.
Every house has a story, and our mission is to tell San Antonio’s story through the lens of our community’s historic and colorful homes. The San Antonio Current’s real estate features are not ads, and are strictly operated through our editorial department. But we love public input. Do you know of a unique San Antonio home that we should highlight? Let us know, and email skoithan@sacurrent.com.
