Building St. Aloysius 1925 began in the Fall of 1924.
St. Aloysius 1925
“Alumni See Start of New Building” is the title of a short article reporting on the start of the “new” St. Aloysius building. The first steps in the replacement/upgrade of the school began on 8-October-1924. The Times-Picayune covered the “first piling” formalities in the paper the next day. A group of Brothers and VIP alumni posed for a photo:
“It was a thrilling moment for 500 boy students of St. Aloysius College when the first pile was driven for the new building to be erected this winter. Here are some of the older folk who watched the process with interest: W. J. Drez, President of the Alumni Association; W. M. Wren sub-contractor; Maurice Dufour, class of 1900; Brother Paul, president of the college; Brother Alphonse, former president; Gus Llambias, class of ’97; Brother Theodorus, member of the council; and A. S. Montz, class of ’98 and architect for the building.
The Institute opened St. Aloysius in 1869, in the French Quarter, on the corner of Chartres and Barracks Streets. The popularity of a BOSH education led the Brothers to move from that location to the corner of Esplanade Avenue and N. Rampart Streets in 1892. By 1924, the school outgrew the original building at that corner. The city wanted to expand the N. Rampart Street neutral ground, so the original building had to be demolished. The contractors completed the new building by the start of the school term the following year. The city widened the street, giving NOPSI more room for streetcar operations. on the St. Claude and Esplanade/Canal Belt lines.
An interesting aside in the body of the news article refers to the properties around the original building. Since the building on the corner had to come down, the Institute acquired several houses away from the corner. They demolished those buildings, clearing the way for this construction.
The legacy and traditions of St. Aloysius High School continue on at Brother Martin High School.
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