The Alamo In Texas Didn’t Originally Look Like It Does Now

Go just about anywhere in the country, probably the world, show someone a picture of the Alamo in Texas and they'll know what it is. It didn't always look like that though.

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The Alamos very distinctive facade wasn't supposed to look like it does. In fact, during the legendary battle between the Alamo defenders and Mexican troops, the "hump" at the structures center wasn't there at all.

The iconic structure actually went through several changes before it got the look we all know and revere.

The Alamo started out as San Antonio de Valero, one of 5 missions built by Spanish Franciscan friars. The Alamo was intended to be the "big dog" of the group.

The Original Alamo Plans

According to the Texas State Historical Association, architectural plans for the church — what we commonly know of as the Alamo today — called for a three-story edifice topped by a dome, flanked by twin bell towers, and inside, a choir loft and a barrel-vaulted roof. Even more elaborate carvings were planned for the facade, including statues of four saints in the niches. - texasmonthly

What Happened To The Alamo

First built in the 1700's, it was built and rebuilt in 3 different places before it got to where it is now. That original, "grand design" never happened.

In 1724, a hurricane knocked down structure #1. In 1744, it was rebuilt but collapsed all by itself. (Even then, good contractors were hard to find.) The massive towers and ceiling were eventually built but didn't last long as the building collapsed again around 1762. They never tried the original design again.

See other drawings of its original look, circa 1854, here.

What About The Alamos Hump?

After the battle of the Alamo, the structure was never really finished and was pretty much abandoned. When Texas was acquired by the USA, the army took possession of it and decided to use it for storage. Second and 3rd floors were never built so it needed a roof and the cheapest, easiest roofs back then were "pitched". Once completed, the pitched part needed something to hide it from view. Enter "the hump".

The hump. known to architects as a "campanulate" went up in the early 1850's, about 15 years or so after the battle of the Alamo was fought in 1836.