The Book
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Author - Barbara Dean Hendricks
Non-Fiction Oral History, 486 pages 6”x9,” black & white, Tradecloth & Tradepaper available. Available through FranklinScribes.com, BuildingArtsGroup.com, and Amazon.com.
Ten master artisans, ten fascinating stories, one 486-page illustrated book about “old world” building trades craftsmen working today to help preserve historic buildings, and the families who have dedicated their lives to saving historic structures in South Texas. The book is about some very special artisans who love to work with their hands, who have a burning passion their work, and who value the old architecture with the hope they can be preserved for future generations.
Some of the best craftsmen based in San Antonio have told their stories to Barbara Dean Hendricks about their professions and the generations of dedicated family members who have carried these vanishing skills forward in order to preserve our past, saving our historic buildings for future generations to enjoy.
Barbara Dean Hendricks sat down with ten craftsmen in San Antonio and recorded their stories that have been meticulously transcribed for this ambitious book. Over 600 photos have been added to their stories to show us just what they do and how they do it.

Unique Needs
San Antonio and South Texas have unique needs for craftsmen of the building arts. Not only are there historic and even mythic buildings to preserve and protect for future generations—like the Alamo, the Spanish Missions, the San Fernando Cathedral—but the area boasts a wealth of unique public and private buildings spanning almost four centuries.
In this Book
The book is about some very special craftsmen who love to work with their hands, who have a burning passion their work, and who value the old architecture with the hope they can be preserved for future generations.