HomeMy WebLinkAboutVMA8X10CVilla Maria Ursuline Academy
Bryan, Texas i9oi-1929
~" D~,
t9~ °s
~ ~ ,/
~•~y;~-
VILLA MARIA Site of
URSULINE ACADEMY
THE URSULINE SISTERS, FOU NDED BY ST. ANGELA IN ITALY IN 1535,
OPENED THEIR FIRST GIRLS' S CHOOL IN NORTH AMERICA IN CiIIEBEC
IN 1639. IN 1727, THEY OP ENED THE URSULINE ACADEMY IN NEW
FOLLOWED IN 18
ORLEANS 47 WITH THE URSULINE ACADEMY IN
,
GALVESTON. IN ADDITION TO T EACHING, THE NUNS SERVED AS
NURSES DURING EPIDEMICS HURR K;ANES
FIRES AND THE CIVIL WAR.
,
THEIR GALVESTON ACADEM
TER DESPITE HEAVY DAM Y B
AGE ,
UILDING SERVED AS A REFUGEE
S SUSTAINED IN THE DEV
STATING
SHEL
1900 STORM. A
SEEKING A NEW SCHOOL S ITE F URTHER INLAND, MOTHER SUPERIOR
MARY JOSEPH DALLMER SE LECT ED BRYAN OVER SEVERAL OTHER.
CITIES. WITH DONATIONS FRO M BRYAN CITIZENS, THE SISTERS
PURCHASED LAND FROM W. A
R ND MARY (MITCHEU) CAVITT AND
BEGAN PLANS FOR VILLA MA .
RIA URSULINE ACADEMY AT THIS SITE,
WHICH BECAME KNOWN AS S L URSUTA'S HILL. CONTRACTOR
GEORGE JENKINS BUILT A
SCH .
OOL AND DORMITORY USING A
NICHOLAS CLAYTON DESIGN TH E SCHOOL OPENED IN SEPTEMBER
1901, BUT CONSTRUCTION .
CO NTINUED UNTIL OCTOBER 21, SL
URSULA'S FEAST DAY. GIRLS A T TH E ACADEMY STUDIED TRADITIONAL
SUBJECTS, AS WELL AS SPO RTS AND MUSIC, AND MAINTAINED A
LARGE FARM. THE SISTERS WOR KED CLOSELY WITH SL JOSEPH'S
CATHOLIC CHURCH AND SCHO OL, WHERE THEY ALSO TAUGHT.
FACING lOW ENROLLMEN T A ND BURDENED BY THE DEBT OF
COSTLY BUILDING REPAIRS, VI LLA MARIA URSULINE ACADEMY CLOSED
IN 1929. FORMER U.S. CONSU L GE NERAL WILUAMSON S
HOWELL
JR
BOUGHT THE PROPERTY AND
BUILT .
,
.
A 24•ROOM HOUSE USING BRICKS
FROM THE SCHOOL. THE FEW GR AVES OF URSULINE NUNS ON THE
PROPERTY WERE RlJ40VED T O GALVESTON, WHERE THE SCHOOL
RESUMED OPERATIONS. HOW ELL LATER SOLD TO ALLEN ACADEMY
WHICH RETAINED OWNERSHI
P U ,
NTIL 1973. TODAY NEARBY STREET
NAMES REFLECT THE IMPACT O F BO TH THE ACADEMY AND HOWELL.
rmo~i
4
~a
Cornerstone laid -March 19, 1901 (photo taken during construction)
ILLA • MARI
1°'°'' Orya,~ _ r'IC Cas_
L'aad~gN by Ib UpY6E, Sigwr
s.R
~ FOR YOUNG Ln01ES d LITiLC GIRLS 0.00.
original advertisement
Texas Historical Marker -Unveiled March 19, 2006
postcard of VMA Grotto
-s7
TEXAS
Texas Historical Marker -Unveiled March 19, 2006
Cornerstone laid -March 19, 1901 (photo taken during construction)
1fG~:'1~1..
~3 ~~r A
V
ILLA MA Si
RIA UR te of
SULINE ACA
DEMY
THE URSUUNE 81ST ERS, FOUND ED BY ST. ANGELA IN ITALY IN 1595,
OPENE D THEIR FIRST GIRLS' SCHO OL IN NORTH AMER ICA IN CiLIEBEt
IN 169 9. IN 1727, T HEY OPENE D'THE URSUUNE AC ADEAAY IN NEAN
ORLEA NS
FOLLOWE D IN 1847 WITH THE URSUUN E ACADEMY 1N"
GALVE ,
STON. IN AD DITION TO TEACHING, THE NU NS SERVED AS
NURSE S DURING END EMICS
HUR RICANES
NRES AND THE CIVIL: WAR
THEIR
TE
GALVESTON
DES
I
E HE ,
ACADEMY
VY DAMAG ,
BUILDING SERVED
ES SUSTAINED IN TH .
AS A REFUGEE
E D
VASTATIN
SHEL
1900 S P
R
T
TORM. A G
E
SEEK ING A NEW S CHOOL SITE FURTHER INLAND, MO THER SUPERIOR:
MARY JOSEPH DALL MER SELECT ED BRYAN OVER S EVERAL OTHER.
CITIES: WITH DONA TIONS FRO M BRYAN CITIZENS , THE SISTERS'
PURCH ASED LAND F ROM W
A
R ND MARY (MITCHEL u CAVITY AND
BEGAN PVWS FOR .
.
VIIJA MARIA URSUUNE ACADEM Y AT THIS SITE,
WHICH
BECAME KN
OWN AS
ST. URSUTA'S Hlll. .
CONTRACTOR
GEORG E JENKINS B UILT A SCH OOL AND DORMIT ORY USING A
NICHOL AS CLAYTON DESIGN
TH E SCHOOL OPENED IN SEPTEMBER
1901, BUT CONSTR .
UCTION CO NTINUED UNTIL OC TOBER 21, ST.
URSUTA 'S FEAST DAY. GIRLS AT T HE ACADEMY STUDIE D TRADITIONAL
SUBJEC TS, AS WELL AS SPORTS AND MUSIC, AND MAINTAINED A '
LARGE FARM. THE S ISTERS WO RKED CLOSELY WITH SL JOSEN'S'
CATHOL IC CHURCH A ND SCHOOL, WHERE THEY ALSO T AUGHT.
FACI NG LOW EN ROLLMENT A ND WRDENED BY THE DEBT GIP
COSTLY BUILDING REP AIRS, VIVA MARIA URSULINE AC ADEMY CLOSEp
IN 1929 . FORMER U.S . CONSUL G ENERAL WILLIAMSON HOWEU
5
JR
BOUGH
T THE PROPERT
Y AND BUIL
T A 24•ROOM HOUS .
,
.
E USING ;BRICKS
FROM T HE SCHOOL. THE FEW G RAVES OF URSULINE NUNS ON THE
PROPER TY WERE REM OVED TO GALVESTON, WHER E 1HE SCHOOL
RESUME D OPERATION S> HOWELL LATER SOLD TO AL IEN ACADEMY
WHICH
RETAINED O
WNERSHIP U
NTIL 1973. TODAY, ,
NEARBY STREET
NAMES REFLECT THE I MPACT OF B OTH THEACADEMY A ND HOWELL.
uooe~
~ ~~~ i4 e ~'.o
F sYI o- ~ r 6d ~~ " U
~~`ts ~ ~ a¢r e,~~l~[