Agency update: Esperanza Peace & Justice Center
San Antonio’s West Side has a rich cultural tradition, but it hasn’t always been understood by its residents and people in other areas of the city. Esperanza Peace & Justice Center aims to change that through the construction of the Museo del Westside, which will include exhibits and presentations about the area’s history.
The Museo — part of a larger project, the Rinconcito de Esperanza, with a total of 11 buildings — will take over the old Ruben’s Ice House and add an adobe building in the back for a total of 2,300 square feet. The renovation of Ruben’s is being partially funded by a 2020 High Impact Grant from Impact San Antonio.
“The essence of the Museo is the honoring of the West Side and its people,” said Graciela Sanchez, director of the Esperanza Center. “Unfortunately, for generations now, many people in our community have grown up hating themselves and hating the West Side because it has been stereotyped as ‘the bad side of town.’ Through exhibits, walking tours, community presentations and other programs, the Museo will show a real and accurate representation of this community and its people.”
Ruben’s Ice House was a small home built in the 1920s that was expanded in the 1950s to be a popular store and outdoor restaurant that operated until the 1980s. It’s a fitting location for the Museo, which is planned as another gathering place for the community.
“We are committed to restoring as much of the building as possible to its original state,” Sanchez said. “In removing the stucco, we uncovered the original wood siding underneath. Rather than following our original plan of restoring the stucco exterior, we are now planning to restore the wood siding.
“On the interior, we are working with our contractor to showcase the original skeleton of our building, using metal lattice work to create a window into the structure. In this way, we will illuminate the original footprint of the building, highlighting the piece-by-piece construction style that is common in West Side buildings and reflects the resourcefulness of the West Side as a low-income, working-class community.”
When the Museo opens, which is expected next May, it will be “the first museum dedicated to the history and culture of the historic West Side and the only museum in the city focused on stories of the working class and poor,” Sanchez said. “The building itself will be a teaching tool, demonstrating historic preservation and green construction techniques.
“Programs will include walking tours, traveling exhibitions, research resources, workshops on cultural and historic themes, film screenings and interactive programs. The Museo will make these resources available to youth from nearby schools, community members and researchers. The Museo will be free to all community members in the 78207 ZIP code area.”
Despite some Covid-related delays related to workforce, construction supplies and permits, staff are expecting the Museo’s structure to be completed by the end of this year. Then the work will begin on arranging for the exhibits and programs to tell the important story of the West Side.
“We do this work because we’ve seen how people change their attitudes toward themselves and their community once they’ve learned a little bit of this truth, and we’re excited for the Museo to allow us to do this work in a bigger way moving forward,” Sanchez said.
Check out a video on the Museo project here.
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