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Old 06-19-2008, 03:46 PM
 
Location: in my mind
2,743 posts, read 14,292,156 times
Reputation: 1627

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I never see this one mentioned when everyone's talking about "spooky places".

You can check out google street view, the address is 3031 West Woodlawn Avenue.

We were driving over there one evening, can't remember why, and passed by this place... all of us were like "What the heck was that!?" because I'm a history buff and lover of all old things (buildings included) and I'd managed to miss it in all these years in SA.

I had to dig to find anything out. It was the Protestant Orphan's Home and I think was built in the early 1900's. It sits abandoned, well when we were by there last year anyway. It had broken windows. A gorgeous building with a circular drive but it definitely gave me the CREEPS when we drove up on the driveway to look at it.

Anyone know more about it? Ever been there?

There was also the Protestant Home for Destitute Children (how sad!!!) on Kentucky, but I don't know if this was an extension of that or not.

It's hard to find out much about it... I believe it was other things besides the Orphanage. I found stuff last year when we first saw it but unfortunately I didn't save anything and now I can't remember!

 
Old 06-19-2008, 03:57 PM
 
222 posts, read 706,415 times
Reputation: 74
I see that place a couple of times a week. I stop to put gas in the car at the Shell across the street. My daughter goes to school in Alamo Heights and when the traffic is bad I come home the back way and end up on Woodlawn. Several years back someone actually attempted to do something with the place. It can't have been more than 3 - 5 years ago. Then we saw that the improvements stopped and that it was for sale again.

It just makes me sad to see it. I really is a downer because it could be so beautiful.. . . and it definitely looks like it'd have a haunted history. I think it's awesome that you got the information that you did on it! Now I'm inspired to go by and take a picture. . . just to have one. You never know what might happen. I've learned my lesson. I take places for granted and theyre here one minute and gone the next!

If I take one later I'll post it!
 
Old 06-19-2008, 04:09 PM
 
3,468 posts, read 8,553,034 times
Reputation: 1621
Miracle Mansion! My daughter has actually "toured" () it a few times. A good friend of hers took her and a few other people over there one "evening" and they got in thru some way that he knew about. What I know if it is all hearsay, but this is what we've heard. Apparently it was started as an orphanage but at some point in recent (probably less than 10 years) some "preacher/pastor/missionary" rented it and used it as a homeless shelter of sorts. He would let homeless people live there on a temporary basis, but they had to do some sort of work to earn their keep and they had to listen to his "sermons". Then some sort of weirdness with the preacher guy happened and everyone was ordered to leave in the middle of the night with only a few minutes notice. My daughter's friend was one of the ones living there at the time, that's how he knew the trick way to get in. He's been thru some amazing things in his life, and I have no reason to doubt his story. Seems like I had found something of the sort when I was researching about it, too.

Pretty gorgeous place, tho, huh??? Oh, and daughter said the place was uber creepy inside! Definitely a "haunted" type atmosphere.

(edit - just searched "miracle mansion" on google, and a whole bunch of stuff came up, including the address/map of the place and a pic. Have fun!!)
 
Old 06-19-2008, 04:11 PM
 
222 posts, read 706,415 times
Reputation: 74
Oh now I REALLY wanna go take pictures!!!! I'm waiting until my husband comes home though!
 
Old 06-19-2008, 04:15 PM
 
3,468 posts, read 8,553,034 times
Reputation: 1621
Default Oh!! Oh!!

Just glanced thru the first article that popped up!!! I remember one of the really weird things about the "preacher" guy. He had a sign up that said, "No one comes through here, except by me." or something to that effect. Yeah, like he thought he was Jesus or something.
 
Old 06-19-2008, 04:29 PM
 
Location: in my mind
2,743 posts, read 14,292,156 times
Reputation: 1627
Quote:
Originally Posted by jules07 View Post
Miracle Mansion! My daughter has actually "toured" () it a few times. A good friend of hers took her and a few other people over there one "evening" and they got in thru some way that he knew about. What I know if it is all hearsay, but this is what we've heard. Apparently it was started as an orphanage but at some point in recent (probably less than 10 years) some "preacher/pastor/missionary" rented it and used it as a homeless shelter of sorts. He would let homeless people live there on a temporary basis, but they had to do some sort of work to earn their keep and they had to listen to his "sermons". Then some sort of weirdness with the preacher guy happened and everyone was ordered to leave in the middle of the night with only a few minutes notice. My daughter's friend was one of the ones living there at the time, that's how he knew the trick way to get in. He's been thru some amazing things in his life, and I have no reason to doubt his story. Seems like I had found something of the sort when I was researching about it, too.

Pretty gorgeous place, tho, huh??? Oh, and daughter said the place was uber creepy inside! Definitely a "haunted" type atmosphere.

(edit - just searched "miracle mansion" on google, and a whole bunch of stuff came up, including the address/map of the place and a pic. Have fun!!)
OH! So THAT is Miracle Mansion???

ROFL! I feel dumb. I remember hearing about MM ALL through high school. LOL. I know a bunch of kids used to talk about it. I never went there and didn't remember the location so I never put 2 and 2 together! Funny! I do remember now that you mention it about the preacher using it for the homeless, some Christian rehabilitation type place. Or was this only recently called Miracle Mansion and I'm thinking of some other place?

It totally creeped us out, I would probably have a hard time going in! I know some don't believe in "all that" but I get definite "vibes". There were houses we looked at when house hunting that there is NO WAY I would have bought. This one we bought, while old, had 'happy vibes' all the way.

edited to add:


Okay now I'm confused. Anyone know if this place was called Miracle Mansion before 2001 or whenver this guy started the homeless shelter? Maybe I'm thinking of something else. Or maybe I just did wayyyy too many brain-killing things in my youth!
 
Old 06-19-2008, 08:22 PM
 
1,425 posts, read 3,314,573 times
Reputation: 333
I bet there are alot of haunted places in SA. Don't know if I buy into that stuff or not but it is fun to be scared (just a little) sometimes. I went on a really fun haunted tour in Key West. We walked through the streets, neigborhoods, alley's, churches, etc. late at night. It was really scarry but fun too. I bet somebody could make a good living doing that in SA but you would have to do your research and be somewhat theatrical... makes it more interesting when you dress and play the part. I went to one in SA many years ago and it was boring as heck.
 
Old 06-19-2008, 08:45 PM
 
Location: Universal City, Texas
3,109 posts, read 9,836,515 times
Reputation: 1826
Here is a Mapquest view of the orphanage. I had to look it up. It is just up the street from the Archdiocese and the Catholic Seminary. I use to live about 6 blocks away on W. Craig Pl.

Map of 3031 W Woodlawn Ave San Antonio, TX by MapQuest
 
Old 06-24-2008, 11:51 AM
 
Location: san antonio
77 posts, read 263,508 times
Reputation: 48
Quote:
Originally Posted by fierce_flawless View Post
I never see this one mentioned when everyone's talking about "spooky places".

You can check out google street view, the address is 3031 West Woodlawn Avenue.

We were driving over there one evening, can't remember why, and passed by this place... all of us were like "What the heck was that!?" because I'm a history buff and lover of all old things (buildings included) and I'd managed to miss it in all these years in SA.

I had to dig to find anything out. It was the Protestant Orphan's Home and I think was built in the early 1900's. It sits abandoned, well when we were by there last year anyway. It had broken windows. A gorgeous building with a circular drive but it definitely gave me the CREEPS when we drove up on the driveway to look at it.

Anyone know more about it? Ever been there?

There was also the Protestant Home for Destitute Children (how sad!!!) on Kentucky, but I don't know if this was an extension of that or not.

It's hard to find out much about it... I believe it was other things besides the Orphanage. I found stuff last year when we first saw it but unfortunately I didn't save anything and now I can't remember!
It was miricle mansion, then became a homeless family refuge now is abandoned again. Kids from Jeff area smoke weed and expreament with sex there now.
 
Old 06-24-2008, 04:02 PM
 
Location: The "original 36" of SA
841 posts, read 1,746,756 times
Reputation: 690
Back in February, the owners wanted to demolish the building. A group of neighbors spoke at the HDRC meeting and it was (at least temporarily) spared the wrecking ball. Personally, I think the building is in too good of shape and in design to just wipe away and replace with a cheap apartment complex or storage facility.

See attached .pdf for more info.
Attached Thumbnails
Protestant Orphan's Home on Woodlawn...?-miracle-mansion_1.jpg   Protestant Orphan's Home on Woodlawn...?-miracle-mansion2.jpg  
Attached Files
File Type: pdf miracle mansion1.pdf (160.4 KB, 529 views)
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