Clio Logo
This is a contributing entry for Le Petit Musée and Shrine of St. John Berchmans and only appears as part of that tour.Learn More.

Room 3: Dormitory

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

Most pupils lived at the school and were taught and cared for by the Sisters. Boarding students were accommodated in large dormitories with alcoves. Because of the remote location of Grand Coteau and the length and difficulty of travel during this time, most students would only return home once or twice during the school year.


Images

  • Curtains around each bed would provide some privacy in the dormitory. Before electricity, candles, lanterns, and later gas lighting were used.
  • Both students and the Sisters would have used large traveling trunks. There was a room or space in the attic specifically for storing these.
  • Each student would have had a bedside cupboard/night stand. Before the building was equipped with running water, clean water for washing was carried each day and emptied from the basin after use. Baths were provided once a week, with an extra expense if a family requested an additional bath per week for their daughter in the summer months.
  • The weighted broom was used by the Sisters and the enslaved persons who cleaned and polished the wooden floors.

Additional Information