Christopher Columbus Italian Society Hall

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Now, there are buildings in San Antonio that just stand there, and then there are buildings that mean something. The Christopher Columbus Italian Society Hall is the second kind.

The Christopher Columbus Italian Society had it constructed in 1927, right next door to the San Francesco Di Paola Catholic Church, designed so the two would complement each other. That was no accident. That was a community making a statement in brick and stone.

The hall was dedicated in January of 1928, and the people behind it were serious about doing things right. Richard Vander Stratten drew up the design. Luigi L.

Guido and Vincenzo Falbo built it. And what they built together is a fine example of the classical form, dressed up with decorative brickwork, pilasters, and stone detailing. Not flashy for the sake of flashy.

Purposeful. The kind of craftsmanship that says we are here, we are staying, and we intend to be remembered. That hall went on to serve as the social and cultural center of San Antonio's Italian-American community.

A gathering place. A keeper of traditions. Right there on the same block as the church, just as it was meant to be, side by side with something sacred.

What the marker says

Constructed by the Christopher Columbus Italian Society in 1927 to complement the San Francesco Di Paoa Catholic Church next door, this building was dedicated in January 1928. Designed by Richard Vander Stratten and built by Luigi L. Guido and Vincezo Falbo, the hall is a fine example of the classial form, with decorative brick work, pilasters, and stone detailing. It serves as the social and cultural center of San Antonio's Italian-American Communty.