Villa de Chantal Historic District
Encyclopedia
Villa de Chantal Historic District is a historic district
located in Rock Island, Illinois
, United States
. The property was designated a Rock Island Landmark in 1994, and it was listed as a historic district
on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2005. Its local landmark status was removed on November 12, 2007. The Villa de Chantal was a Catholic girl’s boarding and day school operated by the Sisters of the Visitation
. The school closed in 1978 and the building was largely destroyed in a fire in 2005. The property now houses the Rock Island Center for Math & Science of the Rock Island-Milan School District #41.
in 1898. They established a school on Fifth Avenue near Sacred Heart Church. Because of the success of the school they chose to build a larger school and bought property of Ball’s Bluff at the edge of Highland Park. The first part of the complex opened in 1901. Within five years the school had grown to 60 boarders and a larger addition was built to expand the school. The older section of the building housed the convent and the new section housed the dormitories, classrooms and chapel. A chaplain’s bungalow was added to the property in 1919. The east wing of the building, known as Lewis Hall, was built in 1929 and contained classrooms and a gymnasium.
The Sisters operated a twelve-grade school. The boarding school was discontinued in 1958. The last high school class graduated in 1975, and the school itself ceased operating in 1978. In the early 1990s the complex was sold and a private school, named Morningstar Academy, occupied the building. The building was also available for parties and receptions. The school moved from the building in 2005 when developer Chris Ales purchased the building. He intended to renovate the building into apartments for senior citizens as he had done in the former St. Katherine’s-St. Mark’s School
and the former Marycrest College buildings across the river in Davenport, Iowa
.
In the early morning hours of July 14, 2005 the older sections of the building were consumed in a fire. Only the brick shell of the structure remained, as did the 1929 addition and the caretaker’s home. The cause of the fire was not determined. The Rock Island-Milan School District acquired the property and the remaining buildings were torn down in 2008. The Rock Island Center for Math & Science, a magnet school focusing on math and science, opened in 2010.
in the Gothic Revival style. The original sections featured a dark rough brick on the ground level and a light buff brick on the upper portions. The main entrance was framed by two octagon shaped towers. The western tower was topped by a belfry and contained a bell the Sisters had brought with them from Kentucky. The tower on the east side was crenellated at the top. The entrance itself was white glazed terra cotta
. The façade
featured different window shapes, such as a rose window
, pointed arch chapel windows, gothic outlined and tracery windows and simple multi-paned casements. The Lewis Hall was designed by architect Edward Lerch. It was similar to the western portion of the building, but less ornate. The Chaplain’s Bungalow, which Stauduhar also designed, was influenced by the Prairie School
style. The side openings of the porch show influences of the Gothic style that tie it in with the rest of the Villa.
Historic district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
located in Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Island is the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The population was 40,884 at the 2010 census. Located on the Mississippi River, it is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring Moline, East Moline, and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf. The Quad Cities...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The property was designated a Rock Island Landmark in 1994, and it was listed as a historic district
Historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....
on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2005. Its local landmark status was removed on November 12, 2007. The Villa de Chantal was a Catholic girl’s boarding and day school operated by the Sisters of the Visitation
Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary
The Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary or the Visitation Order is a Roman Catholic religious order for women. Members of the order are also known as Filles de Sainte-Marie, Visitandines, Salesian Sisters and, more commonly, Visitationists.- History of the order :The Order was founded in 1610 by...
. The school closed in 1978 and the building was largely destroyed in a fire in 2005. The property now houses the Rock Island Center for Math & Science of the Rock Island-Milan School District #41.
History
The Visitation Sisters came to Rock Island from Maysville, KentuckyMaysville, Kentucky
Maysville is a city in and the county seat of Mason County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 8,993 at the 2000 census, making it the fiftieth largest city in Kentucky by population. Maysville is on the Ohio River, northeast of Lexington. It is the principal city of the Maysville...
in 1898. They established a school on Fifth Avenue near Sacred Heart Church. Because of the success of the school they chose to build a larger school and bought property of Ball’s Bluff at the edge of Highland Park. The first part of the complex opened in 1901. Within five years the school had grown to 60 boarders and a larger addition was built to expand the school. The older section of the building housed the convent and the new section housed the dormitories, classrooms and chapel. A chaplain’s bungalow was added to the property in 1919. The east wing of the building, known as Lewis Hall, was built in 1929 and contained classrooms and a gymnasium.
The Sisters operated a twelve-grade school. The boarding school was discontinued in 1958. The last high school class graduated in 1975, and the school itself ceased operating in 1978. In the early 1990s the complex was sold and a private school, named Morningstar Academy, occupied the building. The building was also available for parties and receptions. The school moved from the building in 2005 when developer Chris Ales purchased the building. He intended to renovate the building into apartments for senior citizens as he had done in the former St. Katherine’s-St. Mark’s School
St. Katherine's Historic District
St. Katherine's Historic District is located on the east side Davenport, Iowa, United States and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the campus of a former Episcopal girl’s school named St. Katherine’s Hall. It is currently the location of a senior living facility called...
and the former Marycrest College buildings across the river in Davenport, Iowa
Davenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
.
In the early morning hours of July 14, 2005 the older sections of the building were consumed in a fire. Only the brick shell of the structure remained, as did the 1929 addition and the caretaker’s home. The cause of the fire was not determined. The Rock Island-Milan School District acquired the property and the remaining buildings were torn down in 2008. The Rock Island Center for Math & Science, a magnet school focusing on math and science, opened in 2010.
Architecture
The two older wings of the building were designed by Rock Island architect George P. StauduharStauduhar House
Stauduhar House is an historic building located in Rock Island, Illinois, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.-George P. Stauduhar:...
in the Gothic Revival style. The original sections featured a dark rough brick on the ground level and a light buff brick on the upper portions. The main entrance was framed by two octagon shaped towers. The western tower was topped by a belfry and contained a bell the Sisters had brought with them from Kentucky. The tower on the east side was crenellated at the top. The entrance itself was white glazed terra cotta
Terra cotta
Terracotta, Terra cotta or Terra-cotta is a clay-based unglazed ceramic, although the term can also be applied to glazed ceramics where the fired body is porous and red in color...
. The façade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
featured different window shapes, such as a rose window
Rose window
A Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in churches of the Gothic architectural style and being divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery...
, pointed arch chapel windows, gothic outlined and tracery windows and simple multi-paned casements. The Lewis Hall was designed by architect Edward Lerch. It was similar to the western portion of the building, but less ornate. The Chaplain’s Bungalow, which Stauduhar also designed, was influenced by the Prairie School
Prairie School
Prairie School was a late 19th and early 20th century architectural style, most common to the Midwestern United States.The works of the Prairie School architects are usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped in horizontal bands,...
style. The side openings of the porch show influences of the Gothic style that tie it in with the rest of the Villa.