- Neighborhood
- Downtown
- Year built
- 1905
- Style
- Romanesque Revival
- Era
- Early 20th Century
- Architect
- Nicholas J. Clayton
- Designations
- Texas Historical Commission subject marker (1972)
Significance
Incarnate Word Academy was founded in 1873 by the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament, making it the oldest Catholic school in Houston. Its red brick 1905 building on Crawford Street, designed by noted Galveston architect Nicholas J. Clayton, survives as the historic heart of the campus even as the school has grown around it. Clayton, whose work includes some of the finest Victorian buildings in Texas, gave the school a dignified Romanesque presence near the bayou. The academy has educated generations of Houston women and remains an operating college preparatory school. A Texas Historical Commission marker recognizing its history was erected in 1972.
Climate risks tracked
Click a risk to see what it means for this building.
The campus sits just blocks from Buffalo Bayou, and downtown's 2001 flooding during Tropical Storm Allison showed how quickly water can reach this area. Protecting the 1905 building's ground floor and any below grade spaces, and keeping site drainage clear, are the highest priorities. Clayton's brickwork and stone trim need repointing with soft, compatible mortar so wind-driven rain cannot penetrate; hard modern mortar would trap moisture and damage the historic brick. Roof anchoring and pre-storm inspection of the parapets protect against hurricanes, and steady interior humidity control preserves the school's historic interiors and archives.
Use the preservation assistant to talk through retrofit strategies for these specific threats.
Location
Nearby landmarks
Preservation Assistant
Grounded in Incarnate Word Academy
Suggested questions
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