O'Henry House, San Antonio

The O. Henry House Museum in San Antonio offers a fascinating glimpse into the life of William Sydney Porter-better known by his pen name, O. Henry-one of America’s most celebrated short-story writers. Built in 1855 by German settler John Kush, this adobe brick house was originally located at 904 South Presa Street and later moved to its current site at the corner of Dolorosa and Laredo Street in downtown San Antonio.

O. Henry lived in the house briefly in 1885, renting it for $6 per month while editing his humorous magazine, Rolling Stone. San Antonio served as the backdrop for some of his notable works, including “Fog in Santone,” “The Higher Abdication,” and “Hygeia at the Solito.” During this time, Porter was honing his craft, blending humor, irony, and keen observations of human nature that would define his legacy.

The house has had a storied journey. In 1959, the San Antonio Conservation Society, in collaboration with the Lone Star Brewing Company and Kush's descendants, purchased the home for $1 to save it from demolition. It was relocated to the Lone Star Brewing Company’s grounds, where it became part of the Buckhorn Museum collection until the brewery’s closure in 1997. A year later, the house was moved again, restored, and reopened as a museum in 1999.

Today, the museum showcases period furniture and artifacts related to O. Henry's life and works, preserving his legacy in the city that inspired much of his writing. The museum also plays a unique role in community rehabilitation. Probationers under Bexar County’s program serve as docents, gaining life skills and competing for college scholarships based on their demonstrated personal growth. Adding a creative touch, a mural behind the museum was painted by a young probationer, John Murphy, highlighting the museum’s ongoing mission to inspire through art and literature.