05/01/2026
Maria Pfeiffer is a wonderful historian of San Antonio architecture and history!
Join us in celebrating Historic Preservation Month!
Hemsifair: Past, Present, & Future. Guest Speaker, Maria Watson Pfeiffer, will provide historical insight.
Mrs. Pfeiffer was raised in the King William neighborhood within walking distance of the HemisFair site. Her mother, a staunch preservationist, was active in the Conservation Society and a volunteer who helped document the pre-Fair site and advocated for its historic fabric. Prior to the fair, her family bought groceries, hardware and liquor, had their shoes repaired, dropped off laundry and dry cleaning and shopped for antiques in the site’s old and often decrepit buildings. Her high school years, from 1964 to1968, coincided with the years the fair was envisioned, constructed, and opened. She left for college and returned in 1972, to observe the neglect and vandalism that had befallen the site. During the ensuing 54 years she has followed the changing landscape. Maria’s diverse professional career included the DRT Library, the Conservation Society, the Museum Association, and the Parks and Recreation Department. Throughout her career she worked as a historian and preservation consultant specializing in documentation of the 19th and 20th century history of San Antonio. Maria received her B.A. in Political Science from the University of Texas at Austin and her M.A. in Urban Studies from Trinity University. Her work includes numerous nominations to the National Register of Historic Places and Recorded Texas Historic Landmark designations, as well as museum exhibits and interpretive signage. She is the author of School by the River: Ursuline Academy to Southwest School of Art and Craft, 1851-2001 and has contributed to many historical studies and publications.
For more information about this event including the names of our speakers and panelists, visit www.saconservation.org/hpm
