Mission San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo, Convent, 6539 San Jose Road, San Antonio

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS TEX,15-SANT.V,5G-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The convent is a typical component of a Spanish mission complex built during the period of Texas frontier. PART I. HISTORICAL INFORMATION A. Physical History: 1. Date of erection: Circa 2. Original and subsequent owners: See History section of Mission San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo, HABS No. 3. Alterations and additions: The convent was spruced up in by the Benedictines who occupied the mission as a monastery and seminary from to Its Gothic arches were rebuilt with Benedictines' own manufactured red bricks. B. Historical Context: See Mission San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo, HABS No. PART II. ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION A. General Statement: 1. Architectural character: Only the walls, gallery arches and cloisters of the convent are standing.

The convent was once one of the larger buildings of the San Jose mission, having a long rectangle. It adjoins the church and the chapel on the latter buildings' rear walls. 2. Condition of fabric: The standing walls are sound and currently well maintained. B. Description of Exterior: 1. Overall dimensions: The convent is approximately 20' x and is two stories high. 2. Foundation: Rubble stone and lime mortar. 3. Walls: Rubble limestone and lime Rortar. MISSION SAN JOSE Y SAN MIGUEL DE AGUAYO, CONVENT HABS No. (page 2) 4. Structural system, framing: Load bearing masonry walls; segmental arch arcade for cloister. 5. Openings: a. Doorways and doors: Doorways are lancet arch openings, dating from mid-nineteenth century or later; no doors. b. -Windows: No windows were seen on the convent. C.

Description of Interior: 1. Floor plan: The original floor plan was apparently a series of rooms with interconnecting doorways. Some of these doorways led directly to the cloister. 2. Flooring: None. 3. Wall and ceiling finish: None. 4. Doors: None. D. Site: 1. General setting and orientation: The building's long axis runs from east to west. Prepared by: John C. Garner, Jr. Director, Bexar County Architecture Survey PART III. PROJECT INFORMATION The San Antonio project was undertaken by the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) in the summer of and was made possible with funds from HABS and two sponsors, the Bexar County Historical Survey Committee and the San Antonio Conservation Society. Under the direction of James Massey, Chief of HABS, the project was carried out by Wesley I.

Shank (Iowa State University), project supervisor, and by student assistant architects, Charles W. Barrow (University of Texas); Les Beilinson (University of Miami); William H. Edwards (University of Illinois); and Larry D. Hermsen (Iowa State University) at the HABS field office in the former Ursuline Academy buildings, San Antonio. John C. Garner, Director of Bexar County Architecture Survey, did the outside work on the written documentaries. Susan MeCown, a HABS staff historian in the Washington, D. C. office, edited the written data in for preparation of transmittal to the Library of Congress. Dewey G. Mears of Austin, Texas' took the documentary photographs of the San Antonio structures. MISSION SAN JOSE Y SAN MIGUEL DE AGUAYO, CONVENT (page 3) HABS Mo.

The photographs of the convent are part of the San Antonio Missions project, whtcfvwas sponsored by the Southwest Regional Office, National Park Service. John Lowe of the HABS/HAER Office, Washington, took the photographs.