In 1847, the sisters of the Ursuline Order of New Orleans
established the Ursuline Academy for the education of young girls in
Galveston, Texas. Based on the success of this school, the Bishop of
New Orleans directed the sisters to open a second school in San
Antonio. The bishop purchased land for the school along the banks of
the San Antonio River in 1848.
French architect Francois Giraud supervised the construction of the
majority of Academy buildings, which were built between 1851 and
1882. The earliest academy building, made from local clay using a
technique known as rammed earth or pisé de terre, was built by
fellow-Frenchman Jules Poinsard. Later buildings made from native
limestone reflected the late Gothic Revival style.
In 1965, the Ursuline Academy moved to a new site and the San
Antonio Conservation Society purchased a portion of the property,
including part of the first academy building, the chapel, an
adjoining section of the dormitory, and the priest’s house, saving
them all from demolition. The Ursuline Academy was documented with
measured drawings and photographs as part of the Historic American
Buildings Survey in 1968 and listed on the National Register of
Historic Places in November of 1969.
The San Antonio Conservation Society Foundation purchased the
entirety of the first academy building, the first academy addition,
and the small building that had been the first chapel in 1971.
Restoration of the facades of four buildings in the complex began in
1974 thanks to a grant from the Economic Development Administration.
This grant was matched by funds from the Foundation and was the
first time that federal grant funds were used for restoration
purposes in the United States.
In 1975, the Foundation sold the buildings in the Ursuline complex
to the Southwest School of Art & Craft, which was then known as the
Southwest Craft Center. The Southwest School, which has become one
of the country’s largest community-based art schools, has continued
to restore and adapt the Ursuline buildings for its use. Visitors
are welcome to tour the property. |
