Office of Historic Preservation Phone: (210) 215-9274 Why is
Preservation Important? "A building does not have to be an
important work of architecture to become a first-rate landmark.
Landmarks are not created by architects. They are fashioned by
those who encounter them after they are built. The essential
feature of a landmark is not its design, but the place it holds
in a city's memory. Compared to the place it occupies in social
history, a landmark's artistic qualities are incidental." -
Herbert Muschamp Historic Preservation is about telling the
story of our city, neighborhoods, and homes through our built
environment. We strive to preserve our history for many reasons.
Graeme Shankland, a British planner, once said, "A city without
old buildings is like a man without a memory." Ask anyone what
they love about San Antonio and the answers you’ll likely hear
will almost certainly involve historic preservation: the
Riverwalk, downtown neighborhoods, a local historic site like
the Alamo or the Steves House, o