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CRIMSON SHIELD THE ONLINE MAGAZINE OF BROTHER MARTIN HIGH SCHOOL |
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A passage in A Century of Service for the Sacred Heart in the United States by Brother Macarius, S.C., describes the property that housed the original St. Aloysius Academy starting in 1869.
The building, at the corner of Chartres and Barracks, had once been the headquarters of Spanish officers who commanded the barracks in the immediate neighborhood. It fronted Chartres Street and was of colonial design, with six huge columns and a balcony on the second floor. There was a lawn in front which was turned into the boys' play yard. There were three class rooms and a parlor on the first floor, and on the second floor were the Chapel, director's room, and community room. The Brothers slept in the garret. The kitchen was an outhouse behind the building where there was space also for a kitchen garden. The building was in the center of the French Quarter, but the French were gradually moving out of this congested district, and Italian immigrants were rapidly replacing them. The streets were narrow and not over clean. There were no sewers, and the open gutters were filled with the refuse of the houses, which afforded fine breeding places for flies and mosquitoes.
By 1882, the Academy had established a strong position among the educational institutions in the city.
- The usual ad in the Times-Picayune announcing the opening of school included the monthly prices:
Primary department - $4
Intermediate departments - $5
Second commercial - $5
First commercial - $6 - Included was this request: To avoid delay in the formation of classes parents are requested to send their children at the beginning [first Monday in September, which was a month earlier than the October start of most previous years].
Cramped for space in the original building, the Brothers acquired the contiguous lot on Chartres Street on which rested a two-story building.
- It was bought on July 27, 1884, at a cost of $7,300.
- The acquisition provided much needed classroom space as well as additional accommodations for the Brothers.
The expansion occurred in the fourth year of Brother Arnould's directorship. Brother Macarius described him as follows:
Brother Arnould proved very popular with the Creoles. They liked his bluff ways. He greeted everybody with a hearty quip and put all in good humor.
(L) Brother Arnould Berard, (R) Brother Justin Roche
Notice the changes in the habit from one picture to the next.
Another Frenchman, Brother Justin took control in 1887 after the sudden death of Brother Arnould and remained in charge until 1895.
He was a tall, spare man, with an ascetic mien, a dignified walk, and sober appearance. He was seemingly cold, but the Creoles loved him and gave him the affectionate title of "Pere Justin." He directed his school in a casual manner, had no use for what was then termed "humbug," and left the conduct of the classes to the teachers' own initiative.
The school continued to be a victim of its own success.
- Even with the additional property, the school was overtaxed for space, and the neighborhood became "undesirable."
- So in 1892, the Brothers looked about for a new location, one that would offer better facilities but would not be too far from their clientele.
That's a good place to stop for this school year ...