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CRIMSON SHIELD THE ONLINE MAGAZINE OF BROTHER MARTIN HIGH SCHOOL |
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By 1886, St. Aloysius Academy at the corner of Chartres and Barracks Streets in the French Quarter was referred to as St. Aloysius Commercial Institute. An August 1887 Times-Picayune ad for the new school year reads like this:
ST. ALOYSIUS COMMERCIAL INSTITUTE
The attention of readers is directed to the card of this well-known school of which New Orleans may well be proud. By reference to another column it will be seen that the next session begins Monday, Sept. 5, and all interested are invited to have their children present on opening day to facilitate promotions and classifications.
The Brothers of the Sacred Heart, who direct this institution, are solely devoted to teaching and their success is a matter of public fame. The young men that yearly finish from this school readily find openings in business houses and their skill and accuracy are noted facts. And it could scarcely be otherwise, for bookkeeping in both forms, business correspondence and commercial formulas and problems are taught not merely from text books, but this teaching is reinforced by the practical precepts of competent professors and by the daily practice of the pupils. The English language is the basis of all the instructions but French and Spanish have daily classes, and to insure correctness these languages are taught by natives. To parents seeking a moral and practical training of their children, this excellent and favorite school is commended.
The attention of readers is directed to the card of this well-known school of which New Orleans may well be proud. By reference to another column it will be seen that the next session begins Monday, Sept. 5, and all interested are invited to have their children present on opening day to facilitate promotions and classifications.
The Brothers of the Sacred Heart, who direct this institution, are solely devoted to teaching and their success is a matter of public fame. The young men that yearly finish from this school readily find openings in business houses and their skill and accuracy are noted facts. And it could scarcely be otherwise, for bookkeeping in both forms, business correspondence and commercial formulas and problems are taught not merely from text books, but this teaching is reinforced by the practical precepts of competent professors and by the daily practice of the pupils. The English language is the basis of all the instructions but French and Spanish have daily classes, and to insure correctness these languages are taught by natives. To parents seeking a moral and practical training of their children, this excellent and favorite school is commended.
A Sunday, June 28, 1891, article describes the graduation exercises.
The twenty-second annual commencement of St. Aloysius Commercial Institute were held at 10 o'clock yesterday morning and attracted a very large audience.
The programme of the exercises was full of choice selections which were admirably presented by the young gentlemen to whom the parts were assigned. These were: Masters Joseph Sciaccaluga, Victor Choppin, Ben Phillips, H. Vallott and James Gautraux.
The comedy "The Disgusted Dutchman" was presented by Masters Francis Klorer, Adrian Villa and Joseph Sciaccaluga. A beautiful tableau, "The Stoning and Crowning of St. Joseph," ended the programme.
The premiums of honor, to be awarded to the two most exemplary students in the institution, were won by Masters Francis Klorer and Victor Choppin. Their appearance upon the stage to receive the handsome gold medals was warmly applauded. The distribution of a number of handsome premiums to other worthy students followed.
The programme of the exercises was full of choice selections which were admirably presented by the young gentlemen to whom the parts were assigned. These were: Masters Joseph Sciaccaluga, Victor Choppin, Ben Phillips, H. Vallott and James Gautraux.
The comedy "The Disgusted Dutchman" was presented by Masters Francis Klorer, Adrian Villa and Joseph Sciaccaluga. A beautiful tableau, "The Stoning and Crowning of St. Joseph," ended the programme.
The premiums of honor, to be awarded to the two most exemplary students in the institution, were won by Masters Francis Klorer and Victor Choppin. Their appearance upon the stage to receive the handsome gold medals was warmly applauded. The distribution of a number of handsome premiums to other worthy students followed.
The annual August ad for the school in the 1892 TP EDUCATION listings included a new location.
ST. ALOYSIUS COMMERCIAL INSTITUTE,
Esplanade and Rampart Streets,
Begins its next session MONDAY, Sept. 5. Terms moderate. French and Spanish without extra charge. A thorough Commercial Education imparted.
Bro. JUSTIN, Director.
Esplanade and Rampart Streets,
Begins its next session MONDAY, Sept. 5. Terms moderate. French and Spanish without extra charge. A thorough Commercial Education imparted.
Bro. JUSTIN, Director.
St. Aloysius Commercial Institute at Rampart and Esplanade Avenues (1903 picture)
The Ursline Sisters had built the school after the Civil War.
- With the economy in shambles, they wanted to provide education for girls from families unable to afford boarding their daughters at the Ursulines Academy (the oldest Catholic school in the United States).
- By 1885, however, the Ursulines were enjoying a steady increase in enrollment at their original school in the French Quarter.
- Since the teachers at the Esplanade Avenue establishment were needed at the convent school, the order put the building up for sale.
- The Brothers of the Sacred Heart purchased the property May 10, 1892, for $23,000 (conservatively equivalent to $536,000 today). As the building had been divided into cells for cloistered nuns, it required extensive remodeling to fit it for the school and Brothers' quarters. These repairs amounted to $7,000.
- The Brothers moved into their new quarters in August and sold the buildings on Chartres Street for $13,100.
The new property consisted to two buildings facing Esplanade Avenue and two smaller buildings behind those.
- The three-story brick building was used for classes and the Brothers' quarters.
- The other brick building on Esplanade consisted of two stories. The lower floor was used as a parlor and the upper as an assembly room.
- One of the two frame buildings in the rear of the school was used as kitchen and dining room while the other housed a store room and servants' quarters.
St. Aloysius would flourish even more at its new location at a time when the national high school graduation rate was slowly climbing from 2% in 1870 to 6.4% in 1900.
To be continued ...