The Ateneo Municipal, which once stood on this site, was established as the Escuela Pia in 1816.

It was taken over by the Spanish colonial government and renamed as the Escuela Municipal in 1830.

When it was turned over to the Society of Jesus in 1859, it was renamed Ateneo Municipal. It became the Ateneo de Manila in 1901 and underwent renovation in 1920 with ornamentation done by Isabelo Tampingco.

The school was destroyed by fire in 1932, and the main campus was moved to Padre Faura St. in Manila. The original campus reopened on the site as an elementary school in 1941 but was destroyed during World War II. Main campus and elementary school moved to its present site at Loyola Heights in Quezon City a decade later.