The Alamo
A Story Bigger Than Texas
This is the Long Barrack, the oldest building in San Antonio. It was built in 1724 as a convento or residence for priests and was originally part of the Mission San Antonio de Valero, now known as the Alamo. Since then it has been used as a Spanish army barrack and hospital, a fortress, a United States Army quartermaster depot, a general store, and, since 1905, a shrine and museum maintained by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. The Long Barrack and the church next door are the only remaining buildings of the Alamo.
Even though the Alamo has a special place in Texas history, these two buildings embody a story whose roots reach into Spain, France, and Mexico and out across the American Southwest, and whose consequences have helped to shape today's world. It is a story that is much bigger than Texas.
Courtesy hmdb.org
