Meerscheidt, Otto, House

Otto Meerscheidt, who was a dominant figure in San Antonio's banking history, was born on January 21, 1871, near Round Top, Texas, to Arthur and Amanda Karoline von Rosenberg Meerscheidt. The noble lineage of his family can be traced back to Otto von Rosenberg who came from Sweden to Kurland in 1500. Otto, who was the twelfth in a family of thirteen, grew up in La Grange. He later followed his brothers to San Antonio, where he enrolled in Alamo Business College.
With the founding of the Alamo National Bank in San Antonio in 1891, Meerscheidt began his business career as a teller. In 1919 he became the bank's president and left in 1933 to manage the regional office of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation. He also helped implement the San Antonio Clearing House Association and the Federal Reserve for San Antonio. Otto was a shrewd, incisive man, and was also considered a magnificent practical joker. He was, however, compassionate and helpful to the unfortunate who needed loan money. He headed a bank staff for twenty years that was fiercely loyal to him and one of the most cohesive and efficient teams in the bank's history.
Otto Meerscheidt and his family continued to occupy the house on Adams St. until his death in 1939. The Masonic Lodge, which purchased the property at this time and renovated the second floor to accommodate a large meeting hall, maintained this structure as their headquarters for nearly forty years. In September of 1978 the present owners and current residents, Mr. and Mrs. E. Spencer, purchased the house from the Masonic Lodge and have recently made plans for its partial restoration.