The Perfect Casita Getaway: Casa Lejana of Helotes
I
By Dan R. Goddard
nspired by the Spanish mission revival architecture of the 1930s, Casa Lejana has served as a ranch headquarters, the set of a 1940s Western movie, the Helotes public swimming pool, and a restaurant before being abandoned in the 1980s. Since acquiring the once-dilapidated property on Dent Lane five years ago, Brett and Jenna Bishop have transformed the haciendalike dwelling and a row of small casitas behind it into a unique bed-andbreakfast. A sun-filled, grassy courtyard featuring a flowing, Spanish-style fountain divides the white-painted stone house from the line of casitas, also painted white with blue doors. Once guest houses, each casita has a Santa Fe-style fireplace. The Bishops book three of the casitas through Vacation Rentals by Owner (VRBO) and Airbnb.
32
“We think the primary quality that attracts people online must be the uniqueness of the look,” Brett said. “There are so many other choices of places to stay in San Antonio and even out this way, but very few, if any, offer your own Spanish-style courtyard and casita. Once you are here, you will see the peaceful environment the space naturally offers, taking you back to another era.
Built by F. G. Antonio in the 1930s, Casa Lejana or “far-away home,” was originally the headquarters for a large ranch, and one of the casitas may have started out as stables. Aviator Christy Mathewson, son of the National Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher, acquired the property in the late 1940s and built the 50-foot-long swimming pool once open to Helotes residents.
The Bishops moved into the main house in August 2013 and had their first guest by November. “We’ve always enjoyed being hospitable wherever we live and believe sharing a property like this is well worth the effort,” Brett said. “Meeting people from all over the world - seriously, letting our oldest daughter help out with the set up, and her personal favorite, welcoming guests, making sure they feel taken care of and comfortable – there’s a lot of value here.”
“We don’t know much about when it was used as a public pool, but I have had some people of that generation perk up at local restaurants or other places when I tell them where we live and they’ll reply with, ‘We used to swim there all the time as children…’,” Brett said. “One lady even told me she remembers paying a nickel to swim. When it rains you can see the remnants of an old sign by the entrance of the pool that says, ‘No food or drink in the pool area.’ ”
Helotes: Gateway to the Texas Hill Country – Spring 2018