The Southern Cultural Heritage Complex, formerly the St. Francis Xavier Convent and Academy, is one of the most architecturally and historically significant city blocks in downtown Vicksburg, representing a chronology of American architectural history between 1830 and 1953.
The original convent building, a Greek Revival house, was built circa 1830 and was purchased for $8,000 by the Sisters of Mercy in 1860 to serve as a convent and school. In May of 1862, with the fighting in the Civil war drawing ever nearer, the Sisters closed the school to travel throughout Mississippi nursing both union and confederate soldiers. During the war, the Cobb House was used as a barracks at different times by both armies. After the war, the sisters recovered their property and reopened the school in September of 1864. A portico similar to the one gracing the Balfour House, located across the street, originally adorned the front façade of the Cobb House has been restored. After Jefferson Davis was released from prison in 1869, he returned to Vicksburg, and spoke to the citizens from the second floor balcony.
In 1868, the four-story convent building, located east
of the Cobb House, was built at a cost of $30,000. The building was designed
by the Reverend Jean Baptiste Mouton and is among the largest and best
preserved examples of 19th-century Gothic Revival architecture in
Mississippi. The exterior of the convent has not been changed and the
interior has received only minor alterations through the years.
After examining similar structures in Chicago, the Sisters of Mercy built the two-story Italianate auditorium building for $24,000 in 1885 as a landmark to effect the direction the school would take in Vicksburg. With the St. Francis Academy’s educational program geared strongly to the arts, the auditorium enhanced the preservation of southern cultural heritage in the lower Mississippi delta.
For a time, several historic buildings across Crawford Street, including Pemberton’s Headquarters and the Balfour House, were owned by the Sisters of Mercy and were used for additional classroom space and to board students.
An annex was added to the convent building and modern academy building was erected behind the auditorium in 1937. The most recent addition to the complex, the O’Beirne Gymnasium was completed in 1953.
 |
|
Click to Enlarge |
To accommodate relocation of the convent and academy to modern facilities, the Sisters of Mercy auctioned the contents of the complex in 1986 and sold the city block of buildings to the city of Vicksburg in 1994. The Southern Cultural Heritage Complex offers a neutral space in which residents and tourists of all races and religions may explore and celebrate the uniqueness of Vicksburg and lower Mississippi Delta.
The Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit corporation, has been established to spearhead the redevelopment of this historic block of buildings into a state-of-the-art, multi-use cultural center.Group and individual tours of the complex are available by appointment. The facilities are also available for private rentals, including wedding, parties, receptions, and club meetings. For more information about scheduled events, tours or private rentals, please Contact Us!