SAN ANTONIO – Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 76, known as the oldest post in Texas, was vandalized.
On Wednesday, the official Facebook page for VFW Post 76 said the 130-year-old Petty House was recently damaged with graffiti. Photos posted on social media showed the graffiti was painted on the roof and second-floor siding panels.
“While we can cover up the damage with paint, we are troubled by the choice to target our organization,” the Facebook post read. “We kindly ask all guests to respect our property when visiting our Post. With limited funds, we are working hard to start the repairs.”
VFW Post 76 is located at 10th Street and Avenue B along the Museum Reach extension of the San Antonio River Walk.
It was organized and chartered in 1917, and the Petty House was sold to the post in 1947. The house was then used as the post headquarters.
Completed in 1895, the Petty House was recorded as a Texas Historic Landmark in 2017.
“This property is significant because it is the only remaining house of the pre-1900 neighborhood previously known as the Milam Bend,” the post website states. “The home represents a period in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when San Antonio was becoming a modern city.”
VFW Post 76 holds ceremonies and events, and “has long been a place where those who served everywhere from Normandy to Baghdad could meet up, socialize and help one another,” its website states.
KSAT previously reported that the post was in need of repair, including plumbing and roofing. The post is working alongside the San Antonio Historic Preservation Office to assess the house’s needs and connect with donors.