Negley Building (NEG)
Frequently referred to as an urban oasis, the Southwest Campus has been a place for learning and growth for 165+ years. The buildings and campus originally comprised the Ursuline Convent and Academy, established in 1851. The campus is an architectural treasure, imbued with the charm of age and the dynamic energy of its location – along a section of river the Irish Nuns poetically dubbed “The Meander” referring to the curvaceous route unique to this section of the river’s journey.
The Negly Building (also known as the First Academy Building) is the earliest structure on the campus. It was erected between 1848-51 under the direction of Bishop Jean-Marie Odin, who worked to reestablish the Catholic Church in South Texas after years of neglect during the Texas revolution and Republic of Texas era. In the beginning, classes were taught in four languages — French, English, Spanish and German — to accommodate the languages spoken by San Antonio’s population.
The building was constructed using the pisé de terre method - a rammed-earth construction method of packing layers of thick local clays, rock and straw into wooden forms. Once the forms are removed, a skin of plaster is applied to the surface.
The structure consisted of two rooms downstairs and two rooms upstairs, with a central hallway dividing the structure. In 1854, an addition was made to the First Academy to provide more dormitory space for boarding students on the second floor and a small chapel.