Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-08-03

Arrangements and Furnishing of the
Building--Cost About $15O,o00.
Ths erection of st Joseph's Convent Of |
the Visitation, just back Of the Church of |
X 81. Ann, on Union street, near Gilpin |
avenue founded through the charity and |
benevolence OF Miss May Abel of Balti- |
more, has been completed, and Friday
a number of persons were admitted to the
interior of the big granite pile by card OF
invitation, to take a look at the. convent
Z which soon will be closed TO the outside
world. The Sisters from the Academy of
the Visitation moved into the new con-
vent at O'Clock last Monday morning.
One finds just such structure in the
convent of st. Joseph, founded by mem
Der OF the Order of st. Benedict This
building of the Romanesque architecture,
with its high granite walls and Avondale
trimmings, resembling Greek cross i'll its
Z design, will doubtless stand for centuries.
l. No better spot in all the city could have
been selected for the convent. 1t stands
on an elevation sufficient to command
splendid view of the Delaware river, with
( the vessels passing up and down, and be-
You'd the, river to the east the New Jersey
coast retches away, dotted here and there
with its old mansions, while landscape
views open between the trees. A large
tract of land surrounds the building inside
the heavy walls of stone, and on the right
Of the entrance will be the garden for the
sisters to enjoy their evening walks and
stroll along the avenues of sweet, fragrant
flowers
Or, as il NAV please their fancy, the
spacious verandas about the nunnery are
such as to afford the sisters charming
view of the exterior portions OF the struc-
ture and serve AS means OF recreation,
when the weather IS too unpleasant Tor
walking in the gardens. The building is a
n noble piece of architecture from cellar to
q the Spanish tile roof overhead. 1t is built
VA on bed of solid rock as firm as the tradl-
r N tionalcastles of old.
The entrance is on the west side Of the
y house, where a representatives of The
n GAZETTE was ushered in by the Mother
Superior, Friday afternoon. and a few
minutes later given cordial welcome by
u the Rev. Father Joseph, the chaplain. The
Y newspaper man was then conducted
through every part of the building, the
visit beginning at the chapel off in the
east wing and extending TO the cellar
where three large boilers furnish heat fol
II the building, and to the sleeping rooms ant
sick rooms in the second and third stories
The beautiful chapel TO the left of thu
main entrance was admired by scores O
visitors, as was also the sanctuary ant
n high altar, in front of which solid marble
intervenes, extending almost to the edge o
the railing where the SeeularS are allowed
to approach. The sacristy opens out from
the sanctuary, and next to it is the comics
sional, which has no exterior communica
n ton save diminutiye CRATE, and through
this the confession of the sister is hear
by the priest. The place Of worship for tn
sisters is Immediately front of the SANE
tlary, behind three sets of screens which
hide them from view. The Mothe
Superior occupies her chair in this room
N while the sisters occupy the stalls o
either side. -
As you pass from the chapel to the cor
vent proper, the assembly room is OF
served on the right, next teit the refectorN
and beyond all the kitchen and pantry o
the right of the hall. On the left OF u
main entrance the sisters room of worshi
is found, adjoining the chapel. The. ne'
/, lR room is the sisters ROOM and beyond thu
again the room of the Mother Superio
Then there is the novitiate, the preserN
room, and the room of the procuratrii
opening out into the yard to the soutl
where all provisions and supplies, a.
XII brought in wagons and by messengers.
~ In the second story are the seepir
M apartments of the sisters, while lavatori
intervene after every three rooms, al
then there are the sewing rooms napk
rooms and places for storage of simil
W IRENE right as you. ascend the stairwi
I'll leading to the second story.
EN- In the third story there are moro slice
~ ing rooms, more layatories, bath and 9th
8 rooms. A singular thing was noticeab
IN and that was the absence of a mirror
any of the bed rooms nor was there o
to be seen in all the house, the explain
ton being that such luxuries were n
needed within the walls of nunnery.
striking similarity prevailed in all t
sleeping rooms OF the sisters, the turnitu
being identical, the dimensions the saII
and even the pictures on the wall were /
" same in all the rooms. No Partially W
shown in the furnishing of these room
and there was no mark of favoritism.
In the recreation room on the main tic
a beautiful picture of the descent fro
the Cross" copied from a painting
Rubens, adorns the walls, while pictu
~ copied from paintings of other Flemi
masters are to be seen on the walls In
l,e assembly room there is another picture
the descent from the Cross" but it is
nearly so beautiful as the painting in
room across the hall. Right at the
trance to the main aisle leading to the c.
vent is tall clock standing upright,
sides of which are solid mahogany. Aim
over the massive timepiece is large
which is used in calling the sisters shol
any one desire to see them.
e.parlors, where visitors can come
converse with relatives are Just off of
entrance on the right, divided ny a scr
from the sisters parlors. You may
there and converse with relatives who
hidden from view by screen which IS
moved at the conclusion of the inrerv
for sufficient period to allow person
say good bye and then the interv
ceases.
The building is complete through'
and cost in the neighborhood of Sl50,
including the purchase OF the GROUNDS
which the structure stands.
This afternoon the conservation
blessing Of the convent will take place
the presence of the bishop and all
clergy of the diocese. Pontifical mass
be celebrated and Mozart's mass will
sung by the ex-pupils of the Academ
fhe Visitation