AT A GLANCE
• St. Paul Square was named after Old St. Paul Methodist Episcopal Church (1870s)
• The area grew with the railroad and streetcar lines in the late 1800s
• East Commerce Street became a hub of Black-owned businesses
• The district played a role in San Antonio’s civil rights organizing
• Much of the area was lost due to I-37 and urban development
St. Paul Square Once Stood at the Center of Black Business and Culture in San Antonio
The name of St. Paul Square is derived from the Old St. Paul Methodist Episcopal Church, which was constructed between 1870 and 1880 in the Gothic Revival style. Sparsely developed in the early 19th century, the area grew significantly with the arrival of the railroad in 1877 and the “Cemetery Line” of the street car system in San Antonio during the 1890s down East Commerce Street, the commercial corridor’s main artery.
The “Africa to Mexico Street Car Line”
Later a street car line was established to the North and East of St Paul Square, called the Africa to Mexico Street Car Line as it followed track from N. New Braunfels Street to the deep Westside. Though this line was away from the area it nevertheless provided close proximity to the area. The original location of the Saint Paul congregation, now known as “The Spire.”
Today, St. Paul Square is said to include Center and Crockett Streets to the North, I-37 Expressway to the West, the railway to the East, and the Sunset train station to the South just North of the Alamo Dome at the Rail Station. The area also became known as Black Commerce Street in which people saw the popular Deluxe Hotel leading the way to the main street storefronts lining the area.
Ground Zero for San Antonio’s Integration Movement
What you don’t hear about is a bit of history few never knew existed, located across the street from the original St. Paul Church, 230 N. Center, and was a training center for black youth of the community in established by SH Deckard which later became the offices of the Plumbers and Pipefitters Union office Local 142. The district served as ground zero for San Antonio’s successful integration movement where planning and training was provided for the non-violent protests. A lot of unknown history is often opposed by local deniers who want to maintain a mythical history of the Black community as was done with several Black institutions.
These businesses were owned and led by African-American professionals and community leaders. East Commerce Street had a strong history of Black life and culture that once dominated the area. Most of it is now gone, the result of several barriers designed to segregate the area, including McAllister Freeway which established an additional barrier to the existing railroad tracks. After the street was made one way, most of the last remaining black businesses were destroyed.
Demolished by I-37 Expressway
In the area now covered over by the I-37 Expressway was the Dreamland Theater which was purchased by gambler and civic leader Charles Bellinger who renamed the theater the “Bellinger Theater” in 1922. Apparently, a silent film theater predated the Dreamland and Cameo Theaters and was at either 505 E. Commerce or 507 E. Commerce. The area was demolished by the I-37 Expressway, and also included Macedonia Second Baptist Church, now Second Baptist Church further East. The area also included a Black Lodge and Ellis Alley, and area of “shotgun houses” just a few yards from Center Street and to the North of E. Commerce.
The St. Paul Church was also Lewis Funeral Home in 1954 and the Mount Zion Funeral Parlor under the ownership businessman Frank E. Lewis and G. W. Bouldin. Interestingly, there was a Black medical service called Kneelright Ambulance Service at 112 Live Oak Street, Bouldin’s Newspaper, the San Antonio Inquirer, was across the street (diagonally) from the St Paul Church. Bouldin worked for the Pullman Company for the railroad system at the Sunset Depot. took over ownership of the Inquirer within a year of being in San Antonio.
Why It Matters
St. Paul Square tells a deeper story about San Antonio—one of Black entrepreneurship, community leadership, and civil rights strategy. Much of that history has been erased or overlooked, making it critical to document and preserve what remains. Understanding this past helps explain present-day disparities and the lasting impact of development decisions on Black communities.
