Since moving to San Antonio in 1884, Otto and Emma Koehler had lived in a modest home at 1025 Avenue C. The 1900 Census listed two other household members: George Freeman, a 37-year-old black driver, and Annie Virginia, 22-year-old servant who had immigrated from Germany in 1886. In March 1900, Koehler began preparations for the design of his grand residence in Laurel Heights. Real estate developers opened the area, near San Pedro Springs, in 1890 along with other residential sections north of the center of town such as Alamo Heights and Beacon Hill. According to legend, Koehler selected the site for his home in Laurel Heights because it overlooked the skyline of the city and provided an unobstructed view of his brewery. From a roof-top turret, Otto could see the brewery several blocks away and determine whether his employees were hard at work by the color of the smoke issuing from the brewery’s stacks.
