The Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and as it owns and operates in the complex of buildings that housed the Sisters of Mercy St. Francis School for 132 years, we will help to celebrate with articles about each of the buildings that make up the Cultural Center. First up is the auditorium.

When the Sisters of Mercy arrived in Vicksburg in 1860, they bought the Cobb House on Crawford Street to serve as a convent and school. In 1868, they built the four-story convent building located east of the Cobb House and then in July 1885, Vicksburg architect William Stanton completed plans and specifications for a new building to be erected for the Sisters of Mercy on the northeast corner of Cherry and Crawford streets, on the other side of the Cobb House. The plans called for the brick building to be 72 feet wide and 127 feet long, with a first story being built with a 24-foot ceiling. The Vicksburg Herald reported in August that there would be a two-story gallery 8 feet wide on the east side that would run the full length of the building.  

“The lower story will be used as an exhibition hall with a row of ion columns to support the upper floors. Beck and Brothers will be the masons; Spengler Works will do the carpentry work and H. B. Bruser the roofing, iron work and gas fitting.”

The Vicksburg Post reported that the new building would be “of the Roman order of architecture, constructed in the most solid and substantial manner, its walls in the first story 18” thick with pilasters as an additional support every 20 feet. The second floor will hold eight school rooms, music rooms, and library. Its system of ventilation is unsurpassable, the most recent improvement being introduced in its construction securing absolute purity of atmosphere. An important feature, the neglect of which is a frequent source of great loss of life, is the means of exit in case of fire. The numerous doors all open outward, thus obviating all possibility of their obstruction by a rush; the windows are near the floor and will also afford a ready exit in time of need, and in the second story the gallery offers the amplest means of escape and descent to the ground.”

The building was all but finished in late June 1886 in time for commencement exercises on June 28 and 29. The Commercial Herald reported that “the auditorium measures 80×60 feet, has a rake of three feet from the rear to the footlights, and will seat one thousand persons. The stage is 37 feet deep, is 25 feet between perceniums, on either side of which are orchestra balconies which accommodate each two grand pianos. The scenery and drop curtain, which were painted by Messrs. Losman and Londis, scenic artists of Chicago, are very fine pieces of work.  The drop curtain is a richly appointed and realistic scene of the pier in the bay of Naples. The new scenery consists of four sets, one garden, one woods, one chamber, and a palace scene. In the center of the auditorium hangs a beautiful chandelier containing thirty-two burners and in two rows on either side are pendants containing each two burners.”

The 16th annual commencement was held with 700 people in attendance and included recitations, music, and histrionic sketches. The building was completely finished in time for fall classes to begin on September 6. These classes included, according to the Sisters’ advertisement in The Vicksburg Post, elocution; bookkeeping; Latin; French; vocal music; instrumental music on piano, violin and guitar; painting in oil and watercolors; drawing in crayon, sepia, and India ink; wax, hair and paper flower work; and all kind of plain and fancy needlework.

The building has been the center of the Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation’s programs for 30 years, showcasing music, art, literature, crafts, dance, movies, and all aspects of the humanities.  Thousands of children have attended after-school programs and camps in the Center and have performed on the stage. Additionally, the hall is rented to individuals, organizations, and businesses for workshops, concerts, weddings, receptions, and even to film movies. 

We look forward to another 30 years of preserving and enjoying this most historic building.  

Nancy Bell, Vicksburg Foundation for Historic Preservation.