A beautiful estate steeped in San Antonio history has never been on the market — until it was listed a few days ago. The four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath home has never changed hands it was built in 1937. Indeed, when the land went up for sale in 1910, it was only the third parcel to be sold in Terrell Hills.
But that’s not where the history ends with this $2.25 million property.
The two-story home was the abode of a former Miss San Antonio, Purnecy (Pruny) Heusinger, who died last November.
Born in Pittsburgh, Heusinger visited her aunt and uncle in San Antonio for the summer when she was just 12 years old, according to her obituary. When it was time for her to go home, her aunt and uncle asked her to stay, marking a turning point in her life.
Heusinger attended Jefferson High School and worked jobs at Rexall Drugs and at the Majestic Theatre as a candy girl to pay her aunt and uncle 25 cents a week for room and board.
After high school, Heusinger worked at USAA, where a coworker entered her into the Miss San Antonio contest without her knowledge, according to her obituary. Her coworker only told her the day before the competition. Heusinger didn’t even have a bathing suit to wear and had to borrow her cousin’s — which she did without her knowledge.
Despite her haphazard entry, Heusinger won the title of Miss San Antonio. However, afterward she declined all offers to enter show business, instead choosing a quiet life as a devoted wife and homemaker. Remnants of this quiet life remain in lived-in spaces like the sewing room, still full of materials and unfinished projects.
The home is time capsule of a bygone era, and one could argue it too is an aging beauty queen. But remnants of its former glory remain, like a grand staircase where one can imagine Heusinger gliding down the steps in her ballgown, ready for her debut.
This home is listed by Rose Heusinger with Key Realty.
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.
