DeLeon Plaza and Bandstand
Encyclopedia
DeLeon Plaza and Bandstand is 1.77 acres originally platted as the center of the city of Victoria
, county of Victoria
, in the U.S. state
of Texas
. The bandstand stood nearby the plaza until it was moved to the center of the plaza in 1923. The William P. Rogers chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy
contracted with sculptor Pompeo Coppini
for the DeLeon Plaza's 1912 monument to the Confederacy The Last Stand (aka Firing Line).
On March 24, 1987, DeLeon Plaza and Bandstand was added to the National Register of Historic Places listings in Victoria County, Texas
. In 1965, the bandstand was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
, Marker number 289. In 1998, the plaza was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, Marker number 12273.
was founded by empresario
Martín De León
and his wife Patricia de la Garza De León
, they named it after Guadalupe Victoria
, who had just become the first president of Mexico
. The town was platted by surveyor José María Jesús Carbajal
around a Market Square, which is today DeLeon Plaza.
Sculptor Pompeo Coppini
was paid $5,000, raised by the William P. Rogers chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy
, to create the plaza's monument The Last Stand (aka Firing Line) in 1912. The unveiling was held on July 12 of that year. The celebratory event was the scene of a parade and a barbecue that was free to everyone. The ceremony included various dignitaries, two Union Army
veterans, and twelve Confederate States Army
veterans.
In 1923, the "Memorial White Way" lighting was turned on at DeLeon Plaza. That same year the bandstand, which had been built in 1885 and previously stood nearby, was moved to this location and placed over the site of the town's old water source.
The landscaping was re-done in 1940 as a project of the Works Progress Administration
under the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt
, whose public works and welfare projects helped many people throughout the South. Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Pickering completed a restoration of the bandstand in 1962. That same year, a Six Flags
monument was placed on the plaza at the corner of Main and Constitution streets. The plaza today has twenty-three benches and forty-seven trees of live oak
, elm
, pecan
, ash, magnolia
, and redwood
.
On December 31, 1986, a time capsule was placed in DeLeon Plaza, to be opened at the 2036 Texas Bicentennial.
Victoria, Texas
Victoria is a city in and the seat of Victoria County, Texas, United States. The population was 60,603 at the 2000 census. The three counties of the Victoria Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 111,163 at the 2000 census,...
, county of Victoria
Victoria County, Texas
Victoria County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 84,088. Its county seat is Victoria. It is included in the Victoria, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:According to the U.S...
, in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. The bandstand stood nearby the plaza until it was moved to the center of the plaza in 1923. The William P. Rogers chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy
United Daughters of the Confederacy
The United Daughters of the Confederacy is a women's heritage association dedicated to honoring the memory of those who served in the military and died in service to the Confederate States of America . UDC began as the National Association of the Daughters of the Confederacy, organized in 1894 by...
contracted with sculptor Pompeo Coppini
Pompeo Coppini
Pompeo Luigi Coppini was an Italian sculptor who emigrated to the United States. Although his works can be found in Italy, Mexico and a number of American states, the majority of his work can be found in Texas...
for the DeLeon Plaza's 1912 monument to the Confederacy The Last Stand (aka Firing Line).
On March 24, 1987, DeLeon Plaza and Bandstand was added to the National Register of Historic Places listings in Victoria County, Texas
National Register of Historic Places listings in Victoria County, Texas
List of Registered Historic Places in Victoria County, TexasThis is intended to be a complete list of properties and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Victoria County, Texas...
. In 1965, the bandstand was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark is a designation awarded by the Texas Historical Commission for historically and architecturally significant properties in the state of Texas....
, Marker number 289. In 1998, the plaza was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, Marker number 12273.
Plaza
When Victoria, TexasVictoria, Texas
Victoria is a city in and the seat of Victoria County, Texas, United States. The population was 60,603 at the 2000 census. The three counties of the Victoria Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 111,163 at the 2000 census,...
was founded by empresario
Empresario
An empresario was a person who, in the early years of the settlement of Texas, had been granted the right to settle on Mexican land in exchange for recruiting and taking responsibility for new settlers. The word is Spanish for entrepreneur.- Background :...
Martín De León
Martín De León
Martín De León was a rancher and wealthy Mexican empresario descended from Spanish aristocracy. He was the patriarch of one of the prominent founding families of early Texas. De León and his wife Patricia de la Garza established De León's Colony, the only predominantly Mexican colony in Texas...
and his wife Patricia de la Garza De León
Patricia de la Garza De León
Patricia de la Garza De León was the matriarch of one of the prominent founding families of early Texas. Doña Patricia raised ten children, some of whom helped change the course of history. At age 49, she uprooted her life in 1824 to help her husband Martín De León establish the predominantly...
, they named it after Guadalupe Victoria
Guadalupe Victoria
Guadalupe Victoria born José Miguel Ramón Adaucto Fernández y Félix, was a Mexican politician and military man who fought for independence against the Spanish Empire in the Mexican War of Independence. He was a deputy for Durango and a member of the Supreme Executive Power...
, who had just become the first president of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. The town was platted by surveyor José María Jesús Carbajal
José María Jesús Carbajal
José María Jesús Carbajal was a Mexican freedom fighter, who opposed the Centralist government installed by Antonio López de Santa Anna. Carbajal was a direct descendant of Canary Islands settlers who emigrated to San Antonio, Texas in the 18th Century. As a teenager in San Antonio, he was...
around a Market Square, which is today DeLeon Plaza.
Sculptor Pompeo Coppini
Pompeo Coppini
Pompeo Luigi Coppini was an Italian sculptor who emigrated to the United States. Although his works can be found in Italy, Mexico and a number of American states, the majority of his work can be found in Texas...
was paid $5,000, raised by the William P. Rogers chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy
United Daughters of the Confederacy
The United Daughters of the Confederacy is a women's heritage association dedicated to honoring the memory of those who served in the military and died in service to the Confederate States of America . UDC began as the National Association of the Daughters of the Confederacy, organized in 1894 by...
, to create the plaza's monument The Last Stand (aka Firing Line) in 1912. The unveiling was held on July 12 of that year. The celebratory event was the scene of a parade and a barbecue that was free to everyone. The ceremony included various dignitaries, two Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
veterans, and twelve Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
veterans.
In 1923, the "Memorial White Way" lighting was turned on at DeLeon Plaza. That same year the bandstand, which had been built in 1885 and previously stood nearby, was moved to this location and placed over the site of the town's old water source.
The landscaping was re-done in 1940 as a project of the Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
under the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
, whose public works and welfare projects helped many people throughout the South. Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Pickering completed a restoration of the bandstand in 1962. That same year, a Six Flags
Six Flags
Six Flags Entertainment Corp. is the world's largest amusement park corporation based on quantity of properties and the fifth most popular in terms of attendance. The company maintains 14 properties located throughout North America, including theme parks, thrill parks, water parks and family...
monument was placed on the plaza at the corner of Main and Constitution streets. The plaza today has twenty-three benches and forty-seven trees of live oak
Live oak
Live oak , also known as the southern live oak, is a normally evergreen oak tree native to the southeastern United States...
, elm
Elm
Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus Ulmus in the plant family Ulmaceae. The dozens of species are found in temperate and tropical-montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ranging southward into Indonesia. Elms are components of many kinds of natural forests...
, pecan
Pecan
The pecan , Carya illinoinensis, is a species of hickory, native to south-central North America, in Mexico from Coahuila south to Jalisco and Veracruz, in the United States from southern Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, and Indiana east to western Kentucky, southwestern Ohio, North Carolina, South...
, ash, magnolia
Magnolia
Magnolia is a large genus of about 210 flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae of the family Magnoliaceae. It is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol....
, and redwood
Sequoioideae
Sequoioideae is a subfamily in the Cupressaceae family, with three genera.-Genera:The three redwood subfamily genera are: Sequoia and Sequoiadendron of California and Oregon, USA; and Metasequoia in China. The redwood species contains the largest and tallest trees in the world. These trees can live...
.
On December 31, 1986, a time capsule was placed in DeLeon Plaza, to be opened at the 2036 Texas Bicentennial.