Fisher Hall
Also known as: Boy's Dorm,Coronal Institute; Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity House
Why it's listed
Built in 1906 as a boys' dormitory for Coronal Institute in San Marcos, Fisher Hall is a three-story buff-brick building at 1132 Belvin Street, designed by architect W.N. Hagy. It is named for Rev. Sterling Fisher, the school's president from 1903 to 1916. Its most prominent feature is a five-bay porch with massive columns, round arches with keystones and a dentiled cornice, added between 1928 and 1931. Coronal closed in 1919, and the building then housed Normal School Army Training Corps members during World War I. In 1923 it opened as the Soldiers and Sailors and Marine Hospital, funded by community donations, and remained a hospital until 1960. The American Legion then leased it to the San Marcos Baptist Academy as a junior cadet dorm. Today it is a fraternity house. As the only remaining Coronal Institute building, it is valued for its architecture and its many community roles.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as a handsome example of early 20th-century institutional architecture and the only surviving building from Coronal Institute. It also served the community in several later roles, including as a World War I training dormitory and a hospital from 1923 until 1960.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 83004496, listed August 26, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1132 Belvin St., San Marcos |
|---|---|
| County | Hays County |
| Listed | August 26, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83004496 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | W.N. Hagy, architect |
| Areas of significance | Health/Medicine, Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied as a fraternity house (private residence); condition described as fair and altered, with good rehabilitation potential. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 29.87663, -97.95463 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 83004496.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000453
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.