Schools of the Sacred Heart was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 for its long history as a site of education and religious practice in the State of Louisiana, the site of the Miracle of the Cure of Novice Mary Wilson, and for its French Colonial architecture and formal landscape.
The Sacred Heart main three-story brick classroom building and front gallery as we know it today was constructed between 1830 – 1850 through various additions resulting in a cohesive and high-style example of French Colonial architecture. Over time, water infiltration has damaged the deck floorboards on the second and third stories, and deteriorated the gallery ceilings on the first and second stories. SSH engaged with structural engineers, contractors, preservation experts, and architects to develop a plan to rehabilitate the gallery.
Sacred Heart has applied for Tax Credits through the Louisiana State Division of Historic Preservation and as such the rehabilitation project will include a replacement of a new steel structural system with a new decking and waterproofing system, replacement of the second and third story wood decking with new tongue-and-groove decking system to match the existing flooring, replacement of the ceilings on the first and second stories with new planks to match the existing ceilings, and the third-floor ceiling is not damaged and will be retained, cleaned and repainted. The existing cast iron railings will be cleaned, repainted, repaired where necessary, and raised to meet code requirements. The handrails will be replaced with a rail identical to the profile of the existing rail and painted to match. The project will also entail cleaning and repainting the exterior shutters, windows, doors, and columns with colors to match the existing. Brick will be repaired where needed and the non-historic exterior light fixtures will be replaced with new fixtures in a similar style as the existing fixtures.
Sacred Heart is committed to rehabilitating the Main Building Gallery in accordance with historic preservation standards to ensure the improvements and repairs we are making to the Gallery maintain the current aesthetic that exists today and will protect the building against water damage to preserve the gallery for generations to come.
In support of this significant endeavor, we ask for you to consider a donation to the Gallery Rehabilitation project through the purchase of brick, bench, or plaque that will be incorporated around the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue within our beautiful historic gardens.
