Schulze-Schilo House

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Schulze-Schilo House in Bexar County. Now, some houses in San Antonio have a story that starts with a craftsman and ends with a delicatessen, and if that sounds like the setup to a tall tale, well, just listen. A German craftsman by the name of Carl Schulze arrived in San Antonio in the late 1880s.

He had his brother Otto with him, and between the two of them, they became one of the town's leading homebuilders. That is not a small thing in a city that was growing and hungry for skilled hands. Around 1891, Carl built this very house, and he and his wife Agathe, Agathe Sobeczek, made it their home.

They lived there together until 1896. Carl Schulze was born in 1861 and died in 1917, and in those years he left his mark on San Antonio in wood and mortar and craft. Now, the house itself, it did not stand still while time moved around it.

Somewhere between 1910 and 1915, its owners modified it, and what you see today is what the marker calls an Eclectic blend of styles. Look up at that front gable and you will find Eastlake Millwork, the kind of decorative detail that a craftsman's house ought to wear with pride. But here is where the story takes its turn.

Later owners of this house were Fritz and Laura Schilo. And in 1917, Fritz and Laura Schilo opened Schilo's delicatessen. The same year Carl Schulze died, a new chapter for this address was just getting started.

A craftsman built the house. A delicatessen gave it its second name. San Antonio has a way of layering its stories like that.

What the marker says

German Craftsman Carl Schulze (1861-1917) came to San Antonio in the late 1880s and, with his brother Otto, became one of the town's leading homebuilders. This house, built about 1891, served as a residence for Carl and his wife, Agathe (Sobeczek), until 1896. Later owners included Fritz and Laura Schilo, who in 1917 opened Schilo's delicatessen. Modified by its owners about 1910-15, the home exhibits an Eclectic blend of styles and features Eastlake Millwork on the front gable.