Mechanic's Liens ... how to track down old houses

I love San Antonio - we have a wonderful Conservation Society that holds lots of useful information and people regarding the neighborhood. I found out that you can discover the builder of your old San Antonio home by searching through the Bexar County Clerk's login search. The url is http://www.countyclerk.bexar.landata.com/Default.aspx. Select the Register button, once you have registered you will be able to select the Login-Search Button. Select the 1837-1863 Historical Records Search. If you know the original owner of the house - select Grantor/Grantee. Enter the search parameters of interest (I used last name and dates of interest.)

Gilman 1924-1928
a Mechanics Lien is the most useful in establishing the builder:

The Mechanic's Lien that was discovered for the house was a lien placed by HILLYER DEUTSCH and JARRATT CO to ensure payment.





HILLYER DEUTSCH and JARRATT CO was a lumber company specifically noted in Donald E. Everette's book, Montevista - Architecture and Society in a Gilded Age. On page 99 he documents that a home on East Lynwood designed by the Kelwood Company used lumber from Hillyer Deutsch and Jarrett. The similarities between the Spanish style Monte Vista homes and this Highland Park home are striking. On the other hand, the lumber company supplied the material for the project managed by Contractor Amos Sweitzer and built for Mrs. Maude B. Hall on 104 East. The house could have been designed by a whole host of builders. I am still holding lots of circumstantial evidence with nothing definitive. The mechanics lien guaranteed the payment of $13,000 for materials and labor to the lumber company and set the terms of payment. The Vice President of Hillyer Deutsch and Jarrett was at the Clerk's office to sign the papers that day.