Located on the grounds of Providence Catholic School and a stone's throw away from the Museum Reach of the San Antonio River Walk, the Najim Campus Center boasts wide porches and gracious indoor spaces. What you see today has evolved over the years while maintaining its original purpose of being a gathering site for life's memorable moments.
The land on which this house stands has been a part of San Antonio's history since long before the house was built. It stands on the site made famous by Ben Milam in 1835 during the Texas Revolution. Years later, when Henry Patrick Drought married Ethel Tunstall, he built a home for his family on the site. Atlee B. Ayres & Company were hired to design a home that joined European qualities with early Texas style. The Drought Estate was complete in 1901.
Mrs. Drought was a forward thinking woman who used her home as a celebratory meeting site for many groups in the city, including the San Antonio Symphony and the San Antonio Art League. The design of the main floor and porches lends itself to small private groups in the different parlors or to opening the sliding doors and having access to larger space.
In 1951 the property became the home of Providence Catholic School and the Drought House was used as a residence for the sisters who ran the school. At one time there were 26 sisters living in the house. In 1995, they discontinued use of the house. Over the years, only portions of the first floor were used for various offices.
The Drought House has been restored and in May 2010, it was re-christened the Najim Campus Center, in memory of Jamelia Najim, mother of Harvey E. Najim, who along with many other generous donors made the restoration possible. The first floor and the porches of the home, are once again open for entertaining and public use.