Ursuline Convent
Encyclopedia
Ursuline Convent was a series of historic Ursuline
convent
s in New Orleans, Louisiana
.
in 1727 when the nuns arrived in New Orleans. Michael Seringue was the builder. Planning, collecting material, and construction took years. Existing drawings show the building in 1733, though it was not officially finished until the following year.
Colombage (half-timbered) or brick-between-post was the major form of construction in the city (see Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop
). Usually the walls were then given some protective covering of stucco
or exterior boarding but the fact that the timbered walls of the Ursuline Convent were left exposed is confirmed by a drawing from 1737. However such construction was shown to be inappropriate for the humid climate of New Orleans (with significant deterioration already apparent by 1745) in addition to being a fire hazard.
Built of stucco covered brick, the new building, also known as Old Ursuline Convent, is typical for the French neoclassical architecture
. It is a formal, symmetrical building, severely designed in its lack of ornamentation. No applied orders of pilasters or columns relieved the plain walls. Only the slightly arched window set in shallow moldings, the rusticated quoin
s at the corners and narrow central pedimented pavilion break the even rhythm of the fenestration. The broad plain hipped roof, broken only by four small low set dormers contrasts well with the multi-windowed facade and completes the austere but not unpleasant, finely proportioned
building.
The ground floor was used largely for the dormitory
, classrooms, refectory
, and infirmary of the orphanage, maintained by the nuns. The second floor contained cells for the nuns, a library, infirmary and storerooms. The winding stairway is believed to be from the original convent, installed in the new building.
.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1960.
The convent and its associated school, Ursuline Academy
, moved downriver to a site on Dauphine Street in the 9th Ward
in 1824. In 1912 the convent moved Uptown
to State Street.
day school and a residence for the chaplain. Between these buildings and the convent were gardens. To the right, moving up from the riverside entrance, were the hospital buildings, and beyond them the military barracks.
Despite great interior alterations and decay, the Convent is considered one of the most important historical and religious monuments
in the United States and is one of the few remaining physical links with the French capitol in Louisiana.
Ursulines
The Ursulines are a Roman Catholic religious order for women founded at Brescia, Italy, by Saint Angela de Merici in November 1535, primarily for the education of girls and the care of the sick and needy. Their patron saint is Saint Ursula.-History:St Angela de Merici spent 17 years leading a...
convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
s in New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
.
The first building
The first building for the Ursuline nuns in New Orleans was designed by Ignace Francois BroutinIgnace Francois Broutin
Ignace Francois Broutin was a French military officer and architect in colonial Louisiana. He is chiefly remembered for designing the Ursuline Convent in New Orleans. A native of Picardy, he arrived in Louisiana in 1720 and was the stepfather of Antoine Phillipe, Sieur de Marigny....
in 1727 when the nuns arrived in New Orleans. Michael Seringue was the builder. Planning, collecting material, and construction took years. Existing drawings show the building in 1733, though it was not officially finished until the following year.
Colombage (half-timbered) or brick-between-post was the major form of construction in the city (see Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop
Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop
Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop is a site in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana.Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop is a tavern located on the corner of Bourbon Street and St. Philip Street...
). Usually the walls were then given some protective covering of stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
or exterior boarding but the fact that the timbered walls of the Ursuline Convent were left exposed is confirmed by a drawing from 1737. However such construction was shown to be inappropriate for the humid climate of New Orleans (with significant deterioration already apparent by 1745) in addition to being a fire hazard.
The historic second building
In 1745 plans for a new building of brick and protected colombage were prepared by Broutin. The contractor was Claude Joseph Villars Dubreuil, Contractor of Public Works for the King. His wife, Marie Payen de Noyan, was Bienville's sister. This structure was completed in 1751. It is likely that Alexandre de Batz also took part in the design because several payments are listed to him for work on the new building. The new building was laid out adjacent to the site of the older structure, and some materials from the older building used in the construction of the newer one, including the staircase that can still be seen in the main entrance hallway.Built of stucco covered brick, the new building, also known as Old Ursuline Convent, is typical for the French neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
. It is a formal, symmetrical building, severely designed in its lack of ornamentation. No applied orders of pilasters or columns relieved the plain walls. Only the slightly arched window set in shallow moldings, the rusticated quoin
Quoin (architecture)
Quoins are the cornerstones of brick or stone walls. Quoins may be either structural or decorative. Architects and builders use quoins to give the impression of strength and firmness to the outline of a building...
s at the corners and narrow central pedimented pavilion break the even rhythm of the fenestration. The broad plain hipped roof, broken only by four small low set dormers contrasts well with the multi-windowed facade and completes the austere but not unpleasant, finely proportioned
building.
The ground floor was used largely for the dormitory
Dormitory
A dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
, classrooms, refectory
Refectory
A refectory is a dining room, especially in monasteries, boarding schools and academic institutions. One of the places the term is most often used today is in graduate seminaries...
, and infirmary of the orphanage, maintained by the nuns. The second floor contained cells for the nuns, a library, infirmary and storerooms. The winding stairway is believed to be from the original convent, installed in the new building.
Details
"This is the finest surviving example of French colonial public architecture in the country," states the National Park Service. It is by some accounts the oldest structure in New Orleans, built between 1748 and 1752, being at least fifteen years older than the Lafitte's Blacksmith ShopLafitte's Blacksmith Shop
Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop is a site in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana.Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop is a tavern located on the corner of Bourbon Street and St. Philip Street...
.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1960.
The convent and its associated school, Ursuline Academy
Ursuline Academy (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Ursuline Academy is a private, Roman Catholic, all-girls high school and elementary school in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans...
, moved downriver to a site on Dauphine Street in the 9th Ward
Ninth Ward of New Orleans
The Ninth Ward or 9th Ward is a distinctive region of New Orleans, Louisiana that is located in the easternmost downriver portion of the city. It is geographically the largest of the 17 Wards of New Orleans....
in 1824. In 1912 the convent moved Uptown
Uptown New Orleans
Uptown is a section of New Orleans, Louisiana on the East Bank of the Mississippi River encompassing a number of neighborhoods between the French Quarter and the Jefferson Parish line. It remains an area of mixed residential and small commercial properties, with a wealth of 19th century architecture...
to State Street.
Later additions to the building
The entrance portico was added by the Bishop who also constructed the gatehouse around 1825-30, and reoriented the building which originally faced the river to have the main entrance on what had been the back side (Chartres Street). The Ursuline property covered two city squares, extending to Royal Street. An old ground plan shows a chapel at the corner of Ursulines and Decatur Streets, dedicated to Our Lady of Victory. Near the entrance to the grounds, along the levee, were also a reception house for visitors, theday school and a residence for the chaplain. Between these buildings and the convent were gardens. To the right, moving up from the riverside entrance, were the hospital buildings, and beyond them the military barracks.
Despite great interior alterations and decay, the Convent is considered one of the most important historical and religious monuments
in the United States and is one of the few remaining physical links with the French capitol in Louisiana.