Historic Fort McIntosh Campus
Laredo College’s downtown campus is located on a 200-acre tract of land which once served as a military fort that protected citizens and area ranchers from raiding Indians and bandits. Camp Crawford, later renamed Fort McIntosh, was established in 1849 near the point of an old Spanish and Indian river crossing. By 1850, the fort was renamed in honor of Lieutenant Colonel James Simmons McIntosh, a hero who lost his life after the Battle of Molino del Rey. A series of forts, Worth, Graham, Gates, Croghan, Scott, Lincoln, Duncan, and McIntosh, were established around this time to guard the frontier. These outposts were named in honor of fallen officers in the Mexican-American War.
Today, the grounds of the former Fort McIntosh are a state Archeological Landmark and National Register Historic District. Street names throughout the campus honor fallen heroes, presidents, fort commanders, officers, and soldiers.
Adkins Building - Named for the college’s first president, W.J. Adkins, this facility contains classrooms and offices for the English and Communication Department.
Arechiga Hall - One of the prominent historic buildings on the LC campus, this former barracks building was named in memory of Dr. Domingo Arechiga, who served as LJC president for eleven years. It currently contains the campus Copy Center, offices for the Social and Behavioral Sciences Department and the STEM Articulation Program.
Bookstore - Retail services for college books and student supplies are provided by Follett.
Cigarroa Science Building - Named for the late Dr. Leonides Gonzalez Cigarroa, who served on the Laredo Independent School District Board of Trustees, which created LJC, and who served as a community and state proponent for higher education in South Texas, this facility houses science laboratories and lecture halls; it is closed for renovation.
Cigarroa Science Laboratory - Built in 2000, this state-of- the-art science laboratory building on the downtown campus is named for Dr. Joaquin Gonzalez Cigarroa, who has served on local education boards and committees, and represented the South Texas region on the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. It is closed for renovation.
Corral - This facility, which houses the Employee Development Training Center (formerly ETAC), was originally built circa 1915, between the close of the Spanish American War and the start of World War I. Throughout the years it has served as a student cafeteria and as a student computer lab.
D.D. Hachar Building - Built to house vocational programs that include Computer Information Systems and Computer Aided Drafting, this facility is located on the south side of the campus. It was named in honor of the D.D. Hachar Foundation, which provided funding for classroom equipment.
De La Garza Building - Developed as a regional training center for import and export business, this facility was constructed with federal grants and a gift from the Adolfo C. and Maria de Jesus de la Garza family. Currently, this facility houses the Economic Development Center, and the production center for LC Cable Channel 17, making it a technological and business class venue. It also houses the college's Media Center.
Eloy Garcia Building - Named the Eloy Garcia, Sr. Community Education Building to honor the memory of the long-time member of the LC Board of Trustees, this facility holds classrooms and offices for the Adult Education and Literacy and Continuing Education departments.
Fort McIntosh Park - Located on the north side of the historic campus, it features a swimming pool, baseball field, H.E. Butt tennis courts, a walking trail, softball field and concession facilities for student athletics and recreational programs.
Harold R. Yeary Library and Executive Conference Room - The Harold R. Yeary Library and Executive Conference Room is located in the center of the LC Fort McIntosh Campus. The building is under renovation, but the library still provides users with assistance in locating information and resources. Staff also continues to offer specialized reference and research assistance, lectures regularly to classes, and develops the library collections in their subject areas. It houses approximately 84,541 bound volumes, including about 931 eBooks, and receives 203 periodical subscriptions and approximately 72 online databases (which includes full-text journal articles), making it one of the largest libraries in the region. The Yeary Library participates in TexShare, a statewide library resource-sharing program. The library is a service-oriented institution, providing trained reference staff to answer questions. The Yeary Library is open on weekends and evenings to further student and faculty study and research. The collection’s main focus is the support of the curriculum of Laredo College. Many popular resources in book, magazine, and electronic format are available and are actively used.
The Yeary Library is equipped with a comprehensive automation system. The automated system utilized is the Symphony Integrated Library System, which is a product of SirsiDynix. This system offers enhanced access and research capabilities to our students, faculty, staff, and community users. The Internet is the most popular of the online systems available in the library. Some of the online resources are CQ Researcher and EBSCOHost databases, which include magazine and journal indexes containing a wide variety of full-text articles. In addition to the public Internet computers, the library’s automation system is accessed by several Online Public Access Catalogs or OPAC (Book and Periodicals Catalog) computers.
The library contains seating for more than 300 students. In addition to the central study section and the Periodicals reading area, the library provides group study rooms and library tables. Interlibrary loan service is provided free of charge to all students, faculty and staff. Microfilm reader-printers and paper photocopiers are available for use. There are computers in the library available for student use, and bibliographic instruction is provided by reference staff. A collection of faculty reserve materials is available to students at the Circulation Desk, and a Special Collections Room houses rare books and periodicals of local, regional and state interest. Also, the library houses an art gallery, the walls of which are lined with paintings of many historic buildings from the picturesque days of Fort McIntosh, on which LC is sited. The Harold R. Yeary Library is thus a complete, full-service facility which prides itself on its heavy student usage, its capable staff, and its centrality to the mission of the college. Hours of operation for the library can be found at the following website address: https://library.laredo.edu/
The Yeary Library also houses the Learning Enrichment Center, TRIO Student Support Services program, coffee shop, and executive conference rooms.
Kazen Student Center - The Kazen Student Center is the hub of campus activities. The student center was named for the late Abraham "Chick" Kazen, who was a champion for education in the region. The center houses the Office of Student Life, the Student ID office, Honors Program, Special Services Center, Associate Dean of Students/Title IX Coordinator office, and an expanded Cafeteria with a larger dining area, as well as a game room.
Laird Hall - Named for the college’s second president, Ray Laird, this building contains classrooms, computer labs and offices for the Math Department.
Lamar Bruni Vergara Environmental Science Center - Named to reflect the contributions of the Lamar Bruni Vergara Charitable Trust, this facility is a living laboratory for students of all ages studying math, science and other related disciplines. The center contains representations of the Rio Grande ecosystem and live specimens of plant and animal life. Local school children take part in the center’s eco-curriculum through instructional tours scheduled on weekdays throughout the school year.
Lewis Energy Group Academic Center - Named for the Lewis Energy Group for its generous financial support, this facility opened in January 2012 and contains the state-of-the-art Kinesiology and Distance Learning departments. The building also houses many computer labs and general classrooms that are used by both academic and workforce areas.
Lerma-Peña Center - Named for Laredo firefighters Gregorio Lerma and Armando H. Peña Jr., who lost their lives in the line of duty protecting the downtown college campus. The Lerma-Pena Center houses offices, programs, and services from the Student Services Division and the Bursar's Office.
Lopez Nursing Building and Ruben M. Garcia Allied Health Center - These two buildings are joined by a common courtyard, reminiscent of the historic City of Laredo Fleet Maintenance Shops which were once located on this site. Associate Degree Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistant programs are housed in the east-side building named for long-time nursing educator Mary Alice Lopez. The west-side building contains Allied Health Programs and is named for Ruben M. Garcia, a longtime LC trustee and board president who was instrumental in the establishment of the college's nursing programs and other technical/vocational programs.
Maravillo Gymnasium - Named for the first Laredo Junior College student to die in the line of duty in World War II, Cpl. Quintin Maravillo, this building was dedicated to the memory of LC students who have died in war. The gymnasium and classroom building support the LC Athletics and Intramural Sports Programs.
Martin Building - The Joseph C. Martin Sr. Business Administration Building was recently renovated. It houses the Information Technology Department and the Institutional Research and Planning Office. Mr. Martin served as president of the local school board which spearheaded the opening of Laredo Junior College.
Martinez Fine Arts Center - Completed in 2003, this facility is a hub of instructional activity for the college’s Performing Arts, Fine Arts and Visual Arts programs. It contains sculpture and photography laboratories, state-of-the-art music laboratories and a 750-seat theater for the performing and fine arts. It is named after Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez, whose family foundation provided financial support for constructing and equipping the facility. The center also houses a state-of-the-art television studio with a satellite uplink for live broadcasting.
Memorial Hall - Formerly owned by Laredo State University, the former University Hall was renamed to honor college faculty and staff for their service to students. It houses classrooms and computer labs for general use.
Moore Vocational Building - Named for longtime LJC board member Mervil M. Moore, this facility holds classrooms and offices for Industrial Technology. It also houses the offices for the Chief Officer for Facilities and Oil and Gas Institute.
P-14 - Formerly the Fort McIntosh Post Hospital, it served as the first home for the Music and Dance Department. In 2004, it was renamed to honor the memory of Manuel Llaguno, a Laredo native who gave his life savings to create an endowment for LC student scholarships. It is closed for renovations.
P-34/35 - This facility formerly served as Fort McIntosh Officers’ Quarters and in 2013 was restored as part of the college’s multiyear, multimillion-dollar Facilities Master Plan. It houses the offices for Marketing, Public Relations and Institutional Events.
President’s Home/P-9 - Formerly the Fort McIntosh Post Commander’s Home, this historic structure is currently the private home of the college president.
Private David B. Barkeley Cantu Veterans Memorial Chapel - On November 9, 2006 the former Fort McIntosh chapel was renamed and dedicated for Private David B. Barkeley Cantu, a World War I hero who was the first Laredoan to earn the Medal of Honor. The chapel, built in 1895 as a multi-denominational house of worship, underwent extensive exterior and interior renovation. The chapel is now a non-denominational chapel with the capacity to serve also as an events center to host some campus events. The center includes the Millicent B. Slaughter Heritage Center, which is named in honor of the college's former director of Donor Relations and Special Projects. It has served as the college bookstore and library and most recently housed the Laredo Children’s Museum. It now houses the offices for Institutional Effectiveness, Quality Enhancement Program and Donor Relations and Special Projects.
Visual and Performing Arts Center - This building, which opened in January 2012, houses both the Visual and Performing Arts departments. The building includes both an art gallery and a dance studio, as well as a decorative rotunda, named in memory of philanthropist Fernando A. Salinas, for students to gather. Beginning in the Fall of 2019, the building will also house the Cosmetology Program.
West Building and Annex - Named for the college’s long-time Director of Admissions and Registrar, Ms. Elpha Lee West began her career at LJC as an accounting instructor and also served as Social and Student Activities Director. The West Building houses offices and meeting rooms for college administration and the LC Board of Trustees.