Restless Itinerary Project — Episode 3 Notes

What happens when a historic San Antonio mansion holds more than a century of secrets?

This week, Candice and Morena investigate the history of 802 Kentucky Avenue, the former Protestant Home for Destitute Children. From the thousands of children who passed through its doors to documented childhood deaths, disease outbreaks, and decades of dramatic changes, this building has a history that deserves to be remembered.

We explore the orphanage's beginnings in 1890, uncover newspaper reports about children who died while in its care, and follow the building's transformation into a Catholic missionary residence, low-rent apartments, an abandoned property, and eventually a restored historic mansion.

But what about the paranormal?

We dig into the local lore, explore leads involving paranormal investigators, and ask whether anyone has firsthand experiences from inside the building. What can we actually document, and what remains unverified?

Follow Restless Itinerary Project for more Texas history, strange places, unsettling stories, and mysteries that deserve a closer look.

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Many sources were used in this episode:

• The Portal to Texas History — digitized editions of the San Antonio Express, San Antonio Light, San Antonio Daily Light, and other newspapers. Search names and phrases such as “Protestant Orphans' Home,” “Elmer Premner,” and “Floyd Rinebold.”
• San Antonio Public Library's Texana and Genealogy resources — a good starting point for historical photographs, local histories, and guidance on city and county records.
• “Historic former orphanage survived many uses, changes over its 135 years”San Antonio Express-News · Paula Allen · May 17, 2025
• “Cityscape: Protestant Home for Destitute Children orphanage”San Antonio Express-News · Michelle Mondo · July 28, 2012
• Texas Historical Commission: “Protestant Home for Destitute Children”Historical marker record · 1991
• Elmer Premner's deathSan Antonio Daily Express · May 21, 1902
• Protestant Orphans' Home annual reportSan Antonio Light and Gazette · February 28, 1911
• “Diphtheria at Orphans' Home”San Antonio Express · December 6, 1914
• Floyd Rinebold's burial-permit recordSan Antonio Express · January 1, 1915
• San Antonio history chronology: the 1923 epidemicSan Antonio Public Library historical blog
• Children living at the home named in a 1913 articleSan Antonio Express · June 17, 1913
• “Was a cache of weapons stored at former San Antonio orphanage during Cristero War?”San Antonio Express-News · Paula Allen · July 5, 2025
• Texas Historical Commission research fileHistorical marker supporting documentation“San Antonio, TX: Protestant Home for Destitute Children”The Morbid Travel Guide · Curious Twins · June 11, 2024