Old Ursuline Convent, New Orleans facts for kids
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Ursuline Convent
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Northwest façade of the Old Ursuline Convent
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 Location in East New Orleans
Location in Louisiana
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1100 Chartres St., New Orleans, Louisiana |
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| Built | 1751 (first building completed in 1734) |
| Architect | Ignace Broutin, Alexandre de Batz |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical, French Colonial |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000376 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | October 9, 1960 |
The Ursuline Convent (also known as Couvent des Ursulines in French) is a very old and important building in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. It was home to a group of nuns called the Ursulines. In 1727, these nuns came all the way from Rouen, France, to New Orleans. They were asked by Governor Étienne Perier to start a convent, help at a hospital, and teach young girls.
Contents
The First Ursuline Building
The first building for the Ursuline nuns in New Orleans was designed by Ignace François Broutin. He started the design in 1727, right when the nuns arrived. Michael Zeringue, who was the King's Master Carpenter, built it.
It took several years to plan, gather materials, and construct the building. Drawings from 1733 show what it looked like. However, it wasn't officially finished until 1734.
This building was made using a style called colombage or briquette-entre-poteaux. This means it had a wooden frame with bricks in between the posts. This was a common way to build in the French colony during the 1700s. Usually, the outside walls were covered with stucco or wood to protect them. But the Ursuline Convent's wooden walls were left uncovered, as shown in a 1737 drawing. This type of building didn't work well in the humid New Orleans weather. It started to fall apart by 1745 and was also a fire risk.
The Historic Second Building
In 1745, plans for a new and stronger building were made by Broutin. This time, it would be built with brick and protected colombage. Claude Joseph Villars Dubreuil, who was in charge of public works for the King, was the contractor. His wife was related to Bienville, an important figure in New Orleans history.
This new convent was finished by 1753. It's also possible that Alexandre de Batz helped with the design. The second convent was built next to where the first one stood. Some materials from the old building were even reused. When it was first built, the main entrance faced the Mississippi River. The entrance on Chartres Street was actually at the back.
Design and Features
The Old Ursuline Convent you see today is made of brick covered with stucco. It's a great example of French Colonial and Neoclassical style. This means it's a very formal and balanced building. It doesn't have a lot of fancy decorations. There are no extra columns or fancy designs on the plain walls.
The building's look comes from its slightly arched windows. These windows are set in simple frames. The corners have rusticated quoins, which are blocks that stick out a little. There's also a narrow central section with a triangular top, called a pediment. These details break up the even pattern of the many windows. The wide, plain hipped roof has small, low-set dormer windows. This roof looks good with the many-windowed front. It makes the building look serious but also well-balanced and pleasing.
The ground floor of the convent was mostly used for the orphanage. The nuns ran an orphanage there, so this floor had a dormitory (where people slept), classrooms, a refectory (dining hall), and an infirmary (a place for sick people). The second floor had rooms for the nuns, a library, another infirmary, and storage rooms. There's a winding cypress staircase with a cast iron handrail inside. People believe this staircase was saved from the first convent built in the 1730s.
Important Details
The National Park Service calls this building "the finest surviving example of French colonial public architecture in the country." Many people believe it is the oldest building still standing in New Orleans. It was built between 1748 and 1752. Because of its importance, it was named a National Historic Landmark in 1960.
The convent and its school, Ursuline Academy, moved to a new location in 1824. This new site was downriver on Dauphine Street in the 9th Ward. After the nuns moved, the original convent building was given to the bishop of New Orleans, Louis William Valentine DuBourg. When New Orleans became an archdiocese, the building was called the "Archbishop's Palace." In 1912, the convent moved again, this time uptown to State Street.
Later Changes
The entrance porch you see today was added after the bishop moved in. Around 1825–1830, a gatehouse was built. This changed the main entrance from the river side to Chartres Street. The Ursuline property was very large, covering two city blocks and reaching Royal Street.
An old map shows a chapel at the corner of Ursulines and Decatur Streets. This chapel was dedicated to Our Lady of Victory. Near the entrance to the grounds, along the levee, there was also a building for visitors, a day school, and a home for the chaplain. Between these buildings and the convent were gardens. To the right of the riverside entrance, there were hospital buildings and military barracks.
Even though the inside of the building has changed a lot and it has aged, the Convent is still seen as one of the most important historical and religious places in the United States. It is one of the few remaining buildings that connect us to the French colonial period in Louisiana.
The Third Building
In 1824, the nuns moved to a new, larger convent in the city's 9th Ward. The building we know today was then given to the Bishop of New Orleans to use as his home. For a while, it was called "the Archbishop's Palace." After 1899, it was used as offices for the Archdiocese. Later, it became a rectory for the nearby St. Mary's Church.
See also
- French Colonial architecture
- History of the Ursulines in New Orleans
- Ursuline Academy (New Orleans)
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Louisiana
- List of the oldest buildings in Louisiana
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Orleans Parish, Louisiana
