L'Ecole Saintes-Anges facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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L'Ecole Saintes-Anges
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | 247 Lake St., St. Albans, Vermont |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1899 |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| NRHP reference No. | 80000334 |
| Added to NRHP | November 28, 1980 |
The L'Ecole Saintes-Anges is a special old building in St. Albans, Vermont. Its name means Holy Angels Convent in English. This building was finished in 1899. It is a great example of a building style called Romanesque Revival.
For many years, this place was a very important center for French-Canadian families who moved to St. Albans. It helped them keep their culture and language alive. Today, the building is no longer a school. It has been changed into homes for people to live in. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
A Look at the Holy Angels Convent Building
The Holy Angels Convent is a large, three-story building made of brick. It has a special roof that slopes down on all sides, called a hip roof. The building sits on a strong base made of rough-cut granite blocks.
You can find it a few blocks west of downtown St. Albans. It is across a parking lot from the Holy Angels Catholic Church. The front of the building has parts that stick out, with a main entrance set back in the middle. On the right side, there is a tall tower with a steep, pointed roof and fancy iron decorations.
The windows on the first two floors have rounded tops, like an arch. The windows on the third floor are fully round at the top. All the windows have stone sills and special stone pieces above them called keystones. The edge of the roof has decorative brickwork. This style makes the building look very strong and grand.
History of the Holy Angels Convent School
St. Albans is only about 15 miles (24 km) from the border with Canada. Because of this, many French-speaking people from Quebec moved there. By the 1850s, so many French-speaking families lived in St. Albans that a special school was needed.
The local Roman Catholic church started the Holy Angels Convent school. Nuns, who are women dedicated to religious life, taught classes there. They taught in French to help the children keep their French language and culture. This was very important for the immigrant families.
The first school building became too small as more families arrived. So, in 1899, the bigger building you see today was built. For 75 years, the Holy Angels Convent was a busy place. It was a center for learning and social gatherings for the neighborhood. Even today, many people in that area have French-Canadian family roots. After many years as a school, the building was changed into apartments where people now live.
