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Ursuline Academy
Courtesy of Southwest
School of Art & Craft, Richard Q. Kroninger photographer |
During the 1840s, the Rev. John Odin, a French priest who was educated
in Missouri, was directed to revitalize the Catholic Church, which had
suffered a decline in influence following the end of Mexican control
of Texas. He appealed to the nuns of the Ursuline Order of New Orleans
for help. In 1851 the Ursuline Academy was constructed. This two-story
building with double-story porches is a rare example of a construction
technique associated with French settlements--pise de terre or
"rammed earth" construction. Other buildings include the Dormitory,
constructed of masonry in 1866, and the Academy Chapel, constructed
from 1867-1870 of local stone. The Gothic Revival style Chapel adjoins
the Dormitory on the north. The academy operated at this site until
1965.
The Ursuline Academy is located at 300 Augusta St. in San Antonio and is now the campus
of the Southwest School of Art and Craft. Building tours are
available by appointment Monday-Friday 10:00am to 3:00pm; exhibitions
are open Monday-Saturday 9:00am to 5:00pm. The Visitors'
Center Museum is open Monday-Saturday 10:00am to 5:00pm, Sunday 11:00am to 4:00pm.
For further information,
visit the school's website
or call 210-224-1848. Several of the academy's buildings have also been documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey.
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