The Hubs and I decided to take a few days to visit our hometown of San Antonio, Texas. We decided to make a point to visit some of the places that we have wanted to see but somehow have failed to make it to over the last few visits. One of those places is the Southwest Craft Center housed in the old Ursuline Academy building. I am sorry to say that we didn't see much of the art and crafts of the center but, instead, got caught up in the history, museum, architecture and beauty of the building and the grounds of the Ursuline Academy. I have included a link at the end of this post if you want to do some more reading on the academy but I think I would like the photos to tell their own story.
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| Lunch at the Copper Kettle, the cafe that is operated in the original dining hall of the school |
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| Original window facing and hardware in rather thick limestone walls |
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| Hallway seating |
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| Old and new -- interesting juxtaposition |
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| French style architecture and light fixture -- and I really shouldn't try for "arty" photos |
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| Fenced Courtyard |
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| Large Courtyard |
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| Rear Grounds |
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| Very large gazebo now used mostly for weddings and special events. |
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| Original wrought iron arched sign |
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| Gate in the back garden with large light fixture |
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| You don't readily see this cross but, when you look up and see it, it seems to be silently watching over the entire campus |
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| Turntable to pass items, probably communion wafers, from inside the convent to the outside world |
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| Gothic window |
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| Grotto |
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| Balcony outside original dormitories |
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| Three sided clock tower -- story goes that there was no clock on the north facing side because there was nobody on the north side to see the clock!
For more information on Ursuline Academy check out the website below
www.swschool.org www.sanantoniogov.historic/Districts/Ursuline_Academy.aspx |
