DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about this place — so let's get into it. Now, if you want to talk about an order with staying power, consider this: the Ursuline Sisters were founded by St. Angela in Italy all the way back in 1535.
That is not a typo. 1535. By the time they opened their first girls' school in North America — up in Quebec, in 1639 — they'd already been at it for over a century. They rolled into New Orleans in 1727 with an academy, then set down roots in Galveston in 1847.
Teaching was their calling, yes, but these were not women who stayed indoors when things got hard. They nursed through epidemics. They stayed through hurricanes.
They worked through fires. They served through the Civil War. And when the great 1900 storm tore into Galveston — one of the most devastating storms this coast has ever seen — their academy building became a refugee shelter.
Heavy damages, but the doors stayed open. Still. Even the most steadfast people have to reckon with geography.
And after all that, the sisters decided it was time to look inland. Mother Superior Mary Joseph Dallmer surveyed her options, looked at several cities, and chose Bryan. The people of Bryan put their money where their welcome was, making donations that helped the sisters purchase land from W.R. and Mary Cavitt — Mary, née Mitchell.
And on that land, they had plans drawn up for Villa Maria Ursuline Academy. The site itself became known as St. Ursula's Hill.
Contractor George Jenkins did the building work off a design by Nicholas Clayton, raising up a school and a dormitory on that hill. The school opened in September of 1901. But construction had its own sense of timing — it didn't wrap up until October 21st, which happened to be St.
Ursula's feast day. Whether that was planning or providence, the marker doesn't say, but it does make you wonder. The girls who came to Villa Maria studied the traditional subjects you'd expect, but also sports and music.
They kept a large farm. The sisters taught there and also worked closely with St. Joseph's Catholic Church and School, where they taught as well.
For nearly three decades, this hill was a place of learning. Then came the weight of the world, as it sometimes does. Low enrollment.
The debt of costly building repairs. Villa Maria Ursuline Academy closed in 1929. Former U.S.
Consul General Williamson S. Howell, Jr. bought the property and built himself a 24-room house — and he built it using bricks from the school itself. The few graves of Ursuline nuns that remained on the property were removed to Galveston, where the school resumed operations.
Howell eventually sold to Allen Academy, which held ownership until 1973. And today? If you drive the streets nearby, you'll find names that echo what happened here — both the academy and Howell left their marks on the map.
That's how a place holds a story even after the buildings are gone. The names stay. The hill stays.
And now, so does this marker.
What the marker says
The Ursuline Sisters, founded by St. Angela in Italy in 1535, opened their first girls' school in North America in Quebec in 1639. In 1727, they opened the Ursuline Academy in New Orleans, followed in 1847 with the Ursuline Academy in Galveston. In addition to teaching, the nuns served as nurses during epidemics, hurricanes, fires and the Civil War. Their Galveston Academy building served as a refugee shelter despite heavy damages sustained in the devastating 1900 storm. Seeking a new school site further inland, Mother Superior Mary Joseph Dallmer selected Bryan over several other cities. With donations from Bryan citizens, the sisters purchased land from W.R. and Mary (Mitchell) Cavitt and began plans for Villa Maria Ursuline Academy at this site, which became known as St. Ursula's Hill. Contractor George Jenkins built a school and dormitory using a Nicholas Clayton design. The school opened in September 1901, but construction continued until October 21, St. Ursula's feast day. Girls at the academy studied traditional subjects, as well as sports and music, and maintained a large farm. The sisters worked closely with St. Joseph's Catholic Church and School, where they also taught. Facing low enrollment and burdened by the debt of costly building repairs, Villa Maria Ursuline Academy closed in 1929. Former U.S. Consul General Williamson S. Howell, Jr. bought the property and built a 24-room house using bricks from the school. The few graves of Ursuline nuns on the property were removed to Galveston, where the school resumed operations. Howell later sold to Allen Academy, which retained ownership until 1973. Today, nearby street names reflect the impact of both the academy and Howell. (2005)