History of the Gillespie Mansion guest house explored.

San Antonio citizens still call the Gillespie Mansion guest house the Gillespie Mansion to this day. This is due to the guest house being located on the same property. The guest house was never the Gillespie Mansion.

Now the Gillespie Mansion guest house was a smaller house that was a single story structure built on a concrete slab foundation in 1935. There never was a basement. The Gillespie Mansion guest house was built and designed to be handicap accessible for the physically disabled. Many of the ceilings were low. The guest house remodeled and modified in 1943. The guest house was located close to Freiling Drive and had a road that lead to another mansion that was located on a hill. Frank Gillespie and Zelime Vance Gillespie owned the Gillespie Mansion guest house. (Ref: http://www.bcad.org/clientdb/Property.aspx?cid=1&prop_id=489485)

The property for the Virginia Marie Granados Community Center and Park was donated to the City of San Antonio by the Frank Gillepie and Granados family in 2002. On the date of 11/25/2002, Frank Gillespie and Zelime Vance Gillespie had the guest house property deeded to the City of San Antonio. The guest house was used as a city office for a short time before relocating. The guest house became abandoned sometime around 2004. This house sat abandoned for less than a decade. No significant changes, remodeling, or modifications were done to the house after being abandoned. (Ref: http://www.bcad.org/clientdb/Property.aspx?cid=1&prop_id=489482)

A 5-acre park called Virginia Marie Granados Community Center and Park was later established on the same property with help from San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department in 2008. City of San Antonio remodeled the former Gillespie Mansion guest house in 2008. A food-preparation area, meeting room, classrooms, wheelchair-accessible restrooms and an exercise room were installed inside the former guest house. The renovation and remodeling costs were $1,465,346 dollars from a HUD housing grant. A construction ceremony was held on the date of January 11, 2008. District 1 City Councilwoman Mary Alice Cisneros, celebrated the groundbreaking for the renovation of the existing home as an adult and senior citizen activity center. (Ref: San Antonio Express-News, New senior center, park coming to S.A., January 11, 2008)

The center is named in memory of Virginia Marie Granados. The senior center was originally named Virginia Marie Granados Senior/Adult Activity Center and Park when first opening to the public. This park has now been renamed and shortened to Granados Park. The park is owned by City of San Antonio and is maintained by San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department. (Ref: https://www.sanantonio.gov/ParksAndRec/Parks-Facilities/All-Parks-Facilities/Facility-Details/ArtMID/16234/ArticleID/2639/Granados-Adult-and-Senior-Center?Park=87&Facility=22)

This senior center has now been renamed to Granados Park Community Senior Center. Granados Park Community Senior Center owned and operated by the City of San Antonio. The former guest house is now owned by the City of San Antonio. (Ref: https://www.sanantonio.gov/ParksAndRec/Parks-Facilities/All-Parks-Facilities/Facility-Details/ArtMID/16234/ArticleID/2639/Granados-Adult-and-Senior-Center?Park=87&Facility=22)

The Gillespie Mansion guest house is located at 500 Freiling Drive, San Antonio, Texas, US 78213. Yet BCAD has the addresses listed under 1003 Freiling Drive, San Antonio, Texas, US 78213 and 1001 Vance Jackson Road, San Antonio, Texas, US 78201.

(Ref: http://www.bcad.org/clientdb/Property.aspx?cid=1&prop_id=489485)
(Ref: http://www.bcad.org/clientdb/Property.aspx?cid=1&prop_id=489482)