Del Rio
Val Verde County, Texas
29 20.429' N 100 54.141' W
512 Qualia Drive.


Text: This site was once farmland irrigated by Del Rio's canal system. Construction on this house began in the early 1930s. In 1934, infamous "goat-gland doctor" John R. Brinkley and his wife, Minnie (Jones), bought the home, which exhibits elements of the Spanish Eclectic style. The couple enlarged it and added elaborate water features on the grounds, complete with menagerie, flashing colored lights and loudspeakers connected to a pipe organ inside. Local residents often came to dance to the music and enjoy the light show at the local landmark, which the Brinkley family owned for 46 years.