Old Ursuline Convent

The Old Ursuline Convent, at 1100 Chartres Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, is widely regarded as the oldest surviving building in the Mississippi River Valley and one of the finest examples of French colonial architecture in North America. The Ursuline nuns arrived in New Orleans in 1727 to establish a hospital, orphanage and school for girls, and the present convent building, designed by engineers Ignace Broutin and Alexandre de Batz, was completed in 1752 after an earlier structure proved inadequate. The nuns remained until 1824, when they moved to a new campus downriver, and the building then served as the residence of Catholic bishops and archbishops, a seminary and church offices. Adjoining it is St. Mary's Church, built in the 1840s on the site of the convent chapel, which survived and is a notable example of ornate Catholic interior design. The convent is a symmetrical stuccoed brick structure with steep hipped roofs, dormers, a central entrance and a classical French colonial composition. Today the complex operates as the Old Ursuline Convent Museum, run in connection with the Catholic archdiocese. Guided tours cover the history of the Ursulines, the education of women and girls in colonial Louisiana, the role of the church in the city's early life, and the orphans and casket girls of lore. Exhibits include vestments, manuscripts, religious art, and period furnishings, and the tour usually includes the convent grounds and chapel. Restoration campaigns in the 20th century stabilised the structure, which survived the great fires of 1788 and 1794 that destroyed much of the colonial town. Visitors typically spend about 45 to 60 minutes on a guided tour. Because the museum often operates only on certain days, confirming the schedule before visiting is advisable.