Sisters of the Congregation of Notre-Dame Convent

Sisters of the Congregation of Notre-Dame Convent is a two-storey, rectangular, modern structure in yellow brick. It is located on Soleil-Couchant Street in Saint-Louis-de-Kent.

Sisters of the Congregation of Notre-Dame Convent is designated a Local Historic Place for its architecture and for the role that sisters played in the community.

This two-storey rectangular building is a good example of institutional modern architecture from the 1960’s. Built in 1964, this building exibits features that reflect a commercial and institutional architectural trend during this period throughout New Brunswick which involved the use of yellow brick, little ornamentation, and linear fenestration rhythms.

Sisters of the Congregation of Notre-Dame Convent is recognized for the importance of these sisters in French-language and religious education. The Notre-Dame congregation was established in Saint-Louis-de-Kent in 1874, at the invitation of Msgr. Marcel-François Richard (1847-1915), in order to provide the young girls of the region with quality education. This is the third convent to be built for the congregation in the village and is used mainly as a residence for the sisters.

Heritage value also comes from the contribution of the sisters of the Congregation de Notre-Dame through the wide range of societies and movements they helped to initiate: societies such as Saints-Anges Gardiens, Saint-Enfant-Jésus, and Enfants de Marie, and movements such as Croisade Eucharistique, Jeunesse en marche, Jeunesse Étudiante Catholique, Cercle Sainte-Jeanne d’Arc, Cercle Missionnaire, Guides, Jeannettes, and Joyeux Copains.

Source: Saint-Louis-de-Kent Municipal Building, File number 01 09

The character-defining elements that describe Sisters of the Congregation of Notre-Dame Convent include:

- location of the convent near the church in the centre of the village;

- two-storey rectangular massing;

- flat roof with wide eaves;

- yellow brick siding;

- symmetry and linear rhythm of the rectangular openings;

- front veranda.