A school, founded by the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament to serve Houston's Sixth Ward, opened near this site in 1879. St. Joseph's Parish, the third Catholic church organized in Houston, was founded in 1880 to serve the school and the community. This Romanesque revival structure, designed by Patrick S. Rabbit and build in 1901, replaced an earlier sanctuary destroyed in the 1900 storm. It features a Basilica plan, extensive corbelled detailing and decorative brickwork. Serving a multi-ethnic congregation, St. Joseph's is an integral part of the Community. Recorded Texas Historic