Gonzales Memorial Museum

History

The Gonzales Memorial Museum is a Centennial Historical Memorial Museum that commemorates the Immortal 32 who died in the Alamo. The Gonzales Memorial Museum and Amphitheater was built in 1936-37 with funds allocated by the Texas Centennial Celebration and the Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.), a federal government depression era project. The Total cost was approximately $68,000.

The State allocated $30,000 and the works Progress Administration $24,545 for the labor and materials in the construction of the building. Other allocations were designated as follows: $6,000 for equipment, furnishings, and the construction of a reflecting pool; $1,500 for a monument honoring "The Immortal Thirty-two"; $500 for a marble plaque honoring "The Old Eighteen"; and $1,500 for sixteen bronze plaques to be placed in the interior, which related the early history of the region.

Groundbreaking ceremonies took place on January 4, 1937, with Ross Boothe, a member of the Gonzales Centennial Committee, turning the first shovelful of dirt at the site, which officially marked the beginning of construction.

The building, of Texas shell stone trimmed in Cordova cream limestone, was designed by architects Phelps & Dewees. All murals on the walls of the structure, both inside and out, were painted by J.B. Winn, Jr.

The "immortal Thirty-two" monument (men from Gonzales who died at the Alamo), designed by Page & Southerland, architects, consisted of a shaft of axed Texas pink granite 8' 10" in height, tapering from 5' 6" at the base to 3' 8" at the top, and 1' 4" thick, standing on a 3' base. The bronze sculpted panel attached to the face of the monument was designed by Raoul Josset. The hone-finished silver-gray Georgia marble plaque honoring "the Old Eighteen" was designed by Phelps & Dewees.

Dedication ceremonies were held on October 30, 1937, at the amphitheater with then Governor James V. Allred making the dedication address. The structure is an elegant Art Deco complex which includes two exhibition wings, an outdoor 500-seat amphitheater, and a reflecting pool designed by the San Antonio architectural firm of Phelps and Dewees. The complex is constructed of shell limestone and trimmed in Cordova cream limestone. The central exterior entry features a monument comprised of pink granite and a bronze sculpture by artist Raoul Josset.

The massive structure, though rectangular in shape, contains two separate wings originally designed to house the museum in the north wing and the public library in the south wing. Over the course of years, as more historic items found their way into the museum, additional space was needed to display all the artifacts. As a result, in 1972, the library was moved from the south wing into its own building downtown.

The wings are divided by a large rotunda which serves as the entrance. A long terrace with wide sweeping steps at each end graces the front of the building and allows access to the entrance. The rotunda opens to another terrace on the east side of the structure and leads to the amphitheater.

Two indoor murals adorn the two-wing Gonzales Memorial Museum. Both are approximately 7 feet tall and 20 feet long, placed high on the west walls of the building. The murals depict the exploration of Texas’ history and culture -- with special emphasis on the local area of Gonzales, Texas. The murals were painted in 1938 by James Buchanan using aluminum metal leaf over canvas mounted on plaster, as well as special effects under an over painting of mural detail and thin washes of reduced paint to create translucent color over the metal leaf.

The amphitheater, which is used for public gatherings and entertainment, encompasses a large stage, dressing rooms to each side, and seating for approximately five hundred persons. The back wall of the amphitheater features the marble memorial to "the Old Eighteen". In September 1987, the City of Gonzales constructed a striking wrought-iron fence around the amphitheater, with the Texas star featured in each panel of the fencing.