Green and Edwards assembled a group of artists and others interested in art and history at 220 Belvin Street on March 22, 1924 to form the San Antonio Conservation Society. They wanted members from all parts of the city so that a clique would not control the organization. The group of 13 elected Emily as its first president. They decided "the object of this society is to cooperate in the preservation of the Missions, to conserve Old Buildings, Documents, Pictures, Names, Natural Beauty, and anything admirably distinctive to San Antonio." Its goal was "cultural conservation." And they framed their reports with artists' eyes: Twohig House; Adobe Home on Villita Street occupied by Augusta J. Evans while writing Inez, Child of the Alamo; Pecan Trees and Playgrounds in Parks; Governor's Palace and San Antonio Legends; Old Spanish Nomenclature, Jacales in Brackenridge Park and Old Spanish Art; Selective Study of Special Buildings; Old Doors and Entrances; Old Adobe Houses and the Vance Home.

     As Lewis Fisher pointed out in Saving San Antonio, Rena Green and Emily Edwards "were not the first trying to save the type of landmark of concern to preservationists elsewhere in the nation - a grand old home or meeting hall or fortress recalling the days of some famous patriot or heroic struggle. The San Antonio ladies focused on saving something unknown to be worth saving - a commercial building." Efforts to save the Market House that no longer served its original purpose involved trying to raise sufficient funds to purchase it for a city museum. But all was for naught when the city widened the street and decided not to tunnel under the building but to widen the proposed bypass cut to improve flood carrying capacity. The Society lost its first major battle to save a building, but continued to advocate conservation of the peculiar character and charm of San Antonio's buildings and customs in creative and inventive ways.

     In September 1924, after sketching the Commissioners at their weekly meetings, the ladies presented a play called, ”The Goose with the Golden Eggs.” They performed their play after the commissioners’ regular meeting with puppets crafted to look like the men themselves. The commissioners of the play were called upon to


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