The General Land Office is calling the shots these days at the Alamo complex in San Antonio. And a recent decision by Commissioner Jerry Patterson to allow outside groups that rent Alamo Hall to serve adult beverages at their events isn't sitting well with some Texas history buffs and members of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas who take offense at the notion of alcohol being offered at such a hallowed site.
To be sure, the Alamo is sacred ground -- literally. Folks tend to forget that it was Mission San Antonio de Valero, where Christian missionaries and their Indian converts lived and worshipped, long before that fateful March day in 1836 when a band of brave Texans fell to the Centralist army of Gen. Antonio López de Santa Anna.But the argument that the land upon which Texas heroes fought and died shouldn't be defiled by someone ingesting a Shiner rings a little hollow given how disturbed that ground was in 1922 to build City Fire Station No. 2, which today is Alamo Hall, the center of the brewing controversy.And the Daughters of the Republic of Texas can be forgiven their angst over the notion of margaritas being sipped in the proximity of the heroic struggle against impossible odds, but they need to remember that they had no similar heartburn back in 1936 when they literally dug up bones to build the Alamo Gift Museum to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo.And the digging isn't over. An amphitheater is planned for an area next to the arbor that shields the restrooms on the northern end of the complex.The proceeds from the gift shop, coupled with donations from individuals and private foundations and rental fees for Alamo Hall, help fund the maintenance and programming at the 4.2-acre complex.Although state-owned, the Alamo has been run by the DRT since 1905. The Daughters haven't always been the best stewards of the beloved Texas landmark, which is what prompted the 2011 Texas Legislature to place operations under the direction of the GLO.Admission to the Alamo is free, as it should be. The complex is open daily (except for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Sundays. During the summer, the Alamo remains open on Fridays and Saturdays until 7 p.m.Those 5:30 p.m. closing times leave lots of opportunity to rent out Alamo Hall and the adjoining patio for evening receptions, dinners and meetings. Many outside organizations -- from professional and fraternal associations to military and law enforcement reunion groups -- like to offer their members and guests a cocktail or a beer. And caterers for those events are more than happy to sell them.Patterson's decision to allow groups renting Alamo Hall to furnish adult beverages is a pragmatic decision. It will likely expand the universe of customers interested in hosting an event at the repurposed fire station, located north of the DRT Library along the eastern wall of the complex. And those rental fees go right back into the maintenance and operation of the Alamo.To be clear, Alamo Hall is not the Alamo. No one at the GLO envisions allowing alcohol into the shrine, although strong spirits were undoubtedly consumed before David Crockett and Jim Bowie crossed Lt. Col. William Travis' famous line in the sand.In fact, Travis was one of the few known to be a staunch teetotaler.Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
