History
The Italianate mansion in the King William Historic District, known today as Villa Finale, was constructed by four separate owners between 1876 and 1904. Purchased in 1967 by philanthropist and civic leader Walter Nold Mathis, it was restored to an elegant single family residence from the rooming house it had become during World War I and since the early 1930's. The beautiful home and gardens are enhanced by the extensive collections of Mathis, which include over 12,500 distinctive examples of decorative arts and furniture. These include 19th & 20th century antiques, silver, ceramics, fine art, books and Napoleona. Prior to Mathis' death in December of 2005, he bequeathed his entire estate to the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2004. Open to the public since October 2010, Villa Finale is the first and only historic site in Texas owned and operated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Specialties
Villa Finale was the home of Walter Mathis, a leading preservationist in San Antonio, Texas. Walter Mathis is widely recognized as the catalyst for the revitalization of the King William neighborhood. In addition to his work in King William, Walter Mathis was an advocate for city and statewide historic preservation, as well as a civic and cultural leader. In addition to his preservation work, Walter Mathis was also a prodigious collector of artifacts of nearly every type; these collections fill Villa Finale. Throughout his home, one finds beautiful examples of European furniture, and fine and decorative arts. Mr. Mathis enjoyed collecting memorabilia relating to the life and death of Napoleon Bonaparte. Mr. Mathis's interest in Texas art is represented in the collection by such artists as Mary Bonner, and Julian and Robert Onderdonk. In addition, there is a wide range of Texas decorative arts, such as Bell silver, Texas furniture, and Texian campaign ceramics.