Rinconcito de Esperanza Capital Project

FAIN: CHA-284436-23

Esperanza Peace and Justice Center (San Antonio, TX 78212-4642)
Mia Kang (Project Director: May 2021 to August 2024)
Graciela I. Sanchez (Project Director: August 2024 to present)

The preservation and repurposing of seven historic buildings in San Antonio, Texas, landscaping work, and the creation of multipurpose outdoor space that will include humanities programming.

The Esperanza Peace and Justice Center seeks $500,000 in NEH Challenge Grant funding to support Phase 3 of capital improvements at the Rinconcito de Esperanza (“Little Corner of Hope”), a designated San Antonio Historic District. Located in San Antonio’s Westside, a historic barrio that housed most of the city’s immigrant and working-class residents from the late 19th through mid-20th centuries, the Rinconcito preserves essential elements of the architectural, cultural, and historic significance of this area. Spanning three contiguous lots at 812, 816, and 820 (now part of 816) South Colorado Street, just west of downtown, the Rinconcito includes ten historic structures built between 1900 and 1930, as well as one new compressed earth building that houses MujerArtes, our women’s clay cooperative. With a total budget of $2 million, Phase 3 includes renovation of 7 small historic houses, landscaping, and the creation of a multipurpose outdoor performance and programming space.