Lavaca is the oldest neighborhood in San Antonio, with some of the residences dating back to the 19th century. It is part of the King William District that is also a part of the larger Southtown area.
Confused yet? Don't be – Lavaca, King William and the rest of Southtown are all a part of an urban reclamation project initiated by the city to not only beautify these once run-down areas but also to bring commerce and jobs to the residents of the area.
Lavaca runs from Durango Blvd, South St. Mary's Street and along IH-37 to the Missouri-Kansas Railroad line.
San Antonio used to be a small town that was a stop for cattle and oil barons, until the end of the 19th century, when people decided to start settling in the area. Lavaca is a part of this rich history, having once been referred to as Labor de Afuera which were the farmlands surrounding Mission San Antonio de Valero. That would be the modern-day Alamo to you and me.
As the wealthy oilmen built their houses in the nearby King William and Monte Vista areas, the people who either worked for them or became employed due to the influx of business settled in Lavaca, building mostly modest homes.
Many of these were later abandoned or crumbled over time due to the building nearby of the Victoria courts. These courts became a constant source of crime, drugs and poverty that crippled Lavaca.
As a part of the project to improve all of Southtown, the city of San Antonio has mad an effort to revitalize Lavaca, including razing the courts and spending money on improvements and rebuilding efforts. To find out more about the rebuilding efforts and what neighboring areas think of Lavaca, visit kingwilliamassociation.org.
The quarterly newsletter Esta es Lavaca has lots of information pertaining to area events and happenings. You can download current and past issues of the newsletter in .pdf form here: Lavaca newsletter.
Just south of HemisFair park sits Lavaca's fire station (Fire Station 48) where the San Antonio Fire Museum Society is grooming to be the new site of the official city fireman's museum. This would mark the first time that the entire collection of memorabilia is housed in one section, and Lavaca is proud to be the site of it.
The Sosa Galleries are a privately-owned set of galleries displaying pieces from local artists Lionel and Kathy Sosa. Housed in a 134-year-old complex located at 126 Lavaca Street, the galleries also serves as a second home for the Sosas while housing art by their family members as well.
The Lavaca area is served by San Antonio ISD. Elementary schools in Lavaca include Bonham Elementary, David G. Burnett and Robert B. Green.
Middle schools include Page Middle School while Brackenridge serves as the area's main high school.