John H. Kampmann: Master Builder

Backlist
Written By Beaufort Books

Although relatively unknown in modern day San Antonio, John H. Kampmann was an imposing force during his lifetime (1819-1885). Professor Maggie Valentine explores the lasting legacy Kampmann had on the city. Valentine traces his life from his move to Texas, his involvement in the Civil War (he later received a presidential pardon from President Andrew Johnson), to his twenty year career as a Master Builder.

Arriving in Texas in 1848, German immigrant Johann Hermann Kampmann was a practicing craftsman. Often referred to as “the busiest man in town,” he helped change the architectural face of the city, from the adobe Spanish village to a city of stone and mortar.

His clients included names still familiar in the city, including Menger, Steves, Sweet, and Eagar, But his buildings still speak the loudest about his accomplishments: Steves, Eagar (HemisFair), and Sweet (University of the Incarnate Word) Houses; and the Lone Star Brewery (San Antonio Museum of Art).

Beaufort Books
Previous

In The Company Of Legends
Next

Jonah and Me