The simple, front-gabled, sandstone church covered in white plaster was rehabilitated in 1993 to its documented 1896 appearance in a heroic community-wide effort that uncovered many historic features lost in earlier attempts at modernization. Its interior exhibits historic statuary and a beaded board ceiling that covers its segmental vaulted nave. Due to the precarious nature of the early settlements of the lower Rio Grande, Our Lady of Refuge was the patron of choice for the parishes of the fledgling communities.

The plaza, bounded by Washington and Grant avenues, and Gutiérrez and Laredo streets, was configured in 1874 in the Spanish-Mexican tradition. Dominated by the church and some of the finest buildings in the community, it represents a later period in the development of San Ygnacio.