Ramiro Salazar, Director of the San Antonio Public Library (center, at podium) addresses the audience as Jean Brady, Chair of the San Antonio Public Library; Rick Noll, President of the Monte Vista Historical Association; and Veronica Salazar Escobedo, President of the Landa Gardens Conservancy listen. Also listening on the right side of the photo were Professor Dumbledore from the ''Harry Potter'' books, one of the monsters from Maurice Sendak’s ''Where the Wild Things Are'' and Madeline of ''The New Adventures of Madeline'' book series. Photo by Mary Candee

Special to the North San Antonio Times

After years of planning, fundraising and construction, the Landa Gardens Conservancy finally got to celebrate the grand opening of the Landa Gardens Thursday. The Landa Gardens, a five-acre park surrounding the Landa Library is located at 233 Bushnell.

With the vision and tenacity of many community leaders, the grounds surrounding Landa Library, once unsightly and overgrown, have been transformed into a beautifully landscaped park, highlighting the live oaks and cedar elms that grace the library. Now, with walking paths, benches, and a drinking fountain, the park is an inviting place to visit.

Another feature is the Valero Pavilion, a large fois bois palapas created by Carlos Cortés, that provides a venue for a variety of activities, including poetry readings, art classes, or a quiet place for lunch.

As part of the redesign of Landa Gardens, 7,000 new plants were added to the site, including 1,281 dwarf Mexican petunias, more than 1,000 Asian jasmines, almost 1,000 nandinas, 546 English ivy, more than 400 ferns and 346 boxwoods.

The Landa Branch Library underwent restoration and repair of the Mediterranean-style barrel-tile roof; interior repairs and painting; carpet and flooring replacement; furniture upgrades and exterior painting.

Financing for the gardens and pavilion included $1.5 million in donations raised by the Landa Gardens Conservancy; a roof restoration costing $40,000, paid for by the city of San Antonio; and $85,000 in donations to the San Antonio Public Library Foundation.

Donors included the Valero Energy Corp. and the Greehey family. Tiles were donated by Mr. and Mrs. John M. Sheesley. Construction began June 1, 2007, and took 11 months, almost to the day, to complete.

The Hannah Landa Memorial Branch Library is named for Hannah Mansfeld Landa, wife of Harry Landa, and was their private residence from 1929 to 1946. The Landas were married March 17, 1913, in Tucson, Ariz., and for many years, made their home in New Braunfels.

In 1928, construction of their new home began. The two-story house was built of stucco, stone and tile. While the house was being built, Hannah Landa worked closely with Ernest B. Hays, who designed the home. The house was completed in 1929, and the Landas moved in.

Hannah Landa’s had a prominent place as one of the outstanding social and civic leaders of San Antonio. She died Oct. 28, 1942. Four years later, Harry. Landa bequeathed his home and its grounds to the city of San Antonio to be used as a free public library and a children's playground.

The library would be called the Hannah Landa Memorial Branch Library and would be a "living memorial to his beloved Hannah," with whom he had shared his life for 30 years.

By 1947, the home had been transformed for its new role as a public library. Appropriate book shelves were constructed out of the same materials Gramer's Iron Works had used for the ornamental iron in the home, and suitable library furniture was purchased. The grand opening of the library was on April 1, 1947.

After the playground was completed in 1997, attendance at the library doubled. Use of the Landa Library has doubled again in the last five years. On average, more than 5,800 children use the library each month.