Visitation Monastery

Bishop Michael Portier served as the Bishop of Mobile from 1829 to 1859. Early on, he recognized that Catholic girls in the diocese had little opportunities to attend school. To rectify the situation, he was granted permission by Pope Gregory XVI to establish a new convent and requested that Visitation nuns from the convent in Georgetown, Washington D.C., come to Mobile (the Georgetown convent was the order's first in the United States). The Mother and three or four nuns answered the call and arrived in 1833. They were first housed in a five-room wood-frame cottage that was located next to where the monastery is now. The nuns and some of the girls occupied separate bedrooms. The other rooms were used as a classroom, chapel, and gathering space. Forty girls attended the school initially.

Bishop Portier bought the property where the convent is now and construction for a convent and chapel soon got underway. In 1840, a tornado destroyed these buildings, which were designed by local architect Charles Beroujon. New buildings were constructed and the number of enrolled students reached 100. However, in 1854 a fire destroyed the convent. Undeterred, the local community rallied and contributed funds to immediately rebuild the convent and the work was completed in 1855. Over time, the convent grew. The west side of the convent, where an arcaded walkway is now, was built in 1860 (it was torn down in 1960). The southern building was erected in 1870. The chapel was built in 1894 and is a rare example of Romanesque architecture along the southern U.S. coast.

Enrollment reached its peak in the early 1900s, with students from neighboring states and South America. In the coming decades, however, fewer women joined the Visitation order which put a strain on the school. As a result, the high school closed in 1948 and the grammar school in 1952. The convent began to offer closed retreats in 1956. Retreats continue today for women, men, young people, laity, and groups of other denominations. Interestingly, the convent is known for making a candy called Heavenly Hash—a chocolate covered marshmallow—which it began making in 1957. A gift shop was opened in 1981 in the former priest's house. In the late 1980s and early 1900s, the convent underwent major renovations.

"Historical Notes on the Visitation Monastery." Visitation Monastery. Accessed November 17, 2020. http://www.visitationmonasterymobile.org/HTMLcode/History.htm

Sledge, John. "Convent and Academy of the Visitation." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. April 24, 1992. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/c5d87780-0f5e-4527-af3f-ed22ff474e37/.