Old St. Michael's Dormitory
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
Now called the Lamy Building, this 1878 structure was St. Michael's Dormitory, located south of the St. Miguel Mission. The Dormitory was run by the Brothers of Christian Schools, being part of Santa Fe's St. Michael's College (now the College of Santa Fe). This dorm was for the boys of the college, as well as being the main building of the college. Three-stories tall and donned with a bell tower, a fire in 1926 destroyed the third floor and the tower; the third floor was not rebuilt. In 1947, it became a dorm for St. Michael's High School after the St. Michael's College was moved elsewhere in Santa Fe and renamed College of Santa Fe. Sold to the state of New Mexico by the Brothers, it now houses state offices.
Images
Close up of the bell tower post-1926 fire
Side of Dormitory
Back of the building
Courtyard of building
Circa 1881 photo of San Miguel Mission (left) and St. Michael's Dormitory. This photo gives a great idea of what the dorm looked like as originally constructed. Photo by W.H. Jackson and Co. Courtesy of the Palace of the Governors photo archives
Another angle of the dorm
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
From the Historic Santa Fe Foundation:
"Erected in 1878 by the Brothers of the Christian Schools, this building was for many years the main structure of St. Michael's College. It was originally three stories high and was the highest and largest adobe building in Santa Fe. Typical late nineteenth-century details included a tower, porticos, galleries, and a mansard roof. Administration, class, and faculty rooms occupied the first two floors, while the third floor was used as a dormitory.
"Erected in 1878 by the Brothers of the Christian Schools, this building was for many years the main structure of St. Michael's College. It was originally three stories high and was the highest and largest adobe building in Santa Fe. Typical late nineteenth-century details included a tower, porticos, galleries, and a mansard roof. Administration, class, and faculty rooms occupied the first two floors, while the third floor was used as a dormitory.
The Christian Brothers were brought to Santa Fe by Bishop Lamy in 1859 to establish a school for boys. For nearly twenty years, St. Michael's was housed in a much-remodeled single-story building. Funds to construct the new facility were raised by Brother Botulph, veteran educator and first director of the college, who went through the territory in 1877 seeking contributions. In addition to money and building materials, the record of donations listed 735 sheep, two young oxen, a heifer worth $8 and two goats valued at $1 each.
A disastrous fire in 1926 destroyed the tower and the third floor, which were not rebuilt. The appearance of the building was thus greatly altered, but the graceful two-story rear portal is one of the few remaining in Santa Fe. The French-style trim around the doors and windows and the original mansard roof were due to the influence of Bishop Lamy and the early Christian Brothers, all of whom were Frenchmen.
After 1947, when St. Michael's College (now Santa Fe University of Art and Design) was organized as a separate unit and moved to the southern part of town, this building served as the dormitory for St. Michael's High School. The property was sold by the Brothers to the state of New Mexico in 1965 and now houses state offices. It has been renamed the Lamy Building."