A MOMENT IN

TIME

PART TWO

C H I J M E S

A MOMENT IN

TIME

PART TWO

FORMER

CHIJ SCHOOL

FORMER CHIJSCHOOL*NOW KNOWN AS CHIJMES

what about monuments?

5 – 6

7 – 8

9 – 12

what’s the history behind it?

CONTENTS

A MOMENT IN TIME

what are the architectural details?

55

ABOUTCHIJMES was a historic building complex in Singapore, which was originally known as the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (CHIJ), a premier girls’ school established in 1854 by an order of French Catholic nuns. Originally located on a self-contained city block bound by Victoria Street, Bras Basah Road, North Bridge Road and Stamford Road, the site formerly included the English-language primary and secondary schools, a Chinese-medium school called St Nicholas Girls’ School, an orphanage, the nun’s quarters, and the chapel. In 1983, the primary and secondary schools relocated to their current premises at 626 and 628 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh respectively. The site was redeveloped and partially demolished to build the Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRTC) headquarters.

This complex of convent buildings has a Gothic-style chapel. It was used as a Catholic convent for 132 years, with Caldwell House constructed in 1840–1841 and the chapel in 1904. The remaining complex includes Caldwell House, the chapel now known as CHIJMES Hall, and the orphanage building, and now houses a number of retail and food and beverage outlets. The complex was gazetted as a national monument on 26 October 1990.

A MOMENT IN TIME

7

Building of CHIJMES from the outside, specifically focusing on the roof.

The fountain that is placed right on the entrance of CHIJMES.

HISTORYIn 1851, Father Jean-Marie Beurel, priest of the Good Shepherd Church, was sent to Paris to recruit teachers on behalf of the Apostolic Vicar of Malaya. He approached the Institute of the Charitable Schools of the Holy Infant Jesus of St Maur, an order of well-educated and socially conscious nuns. In October 1852, the order sent a group of nuns, led by Rev. Mother Mathilde Raclot, to Penang, where they established the first Infant Jesus school in Asia.

In February 1854, Mother Raclot and three companions travelled to Singapore, where they moved into a house on the corner of Victoria Street and Bras Basah Road. Purchased from magistrate’s clerk H. C. Caldwell, it came to be known as Caldwell House. Despite the initially austere living conditions, the sisters commenced lessons for two classes of students less than two weeks after their arrival. Later referred to colloquially as the “Town Convent”, the school soon expanded and became known for providing education of a good standard.

The following year, the convent acquired the house adjacent to Caldwell House. This became an orphanage for children who were unwanted or from poor or broken homes. Single mothers or women who could not afford to keep their babies often left them at the orphanage’s

side gate, which came to be known as the “Baby Gate” and the “Gate of Hope”. Such abandoned children were often female, Chinese, and suffering from poor health. Many died after being abandoned, with some already dead upon arrival. Those that survived learned vocational and domestic skills and received a free education at the school.

Over the following years, the convent steadily acquired adjacent plots of land that became part of the growing convent complex. In 1860, the convent bought land that had belonged to Raffles Institution. In 1892, aided by contributions from the government and wealthy benefactors, a boarding house was built on the Stamford Road side of the complex.

By the 1890s, the simple chapel that had been constructed in 1855 had become insufficient for the expanding school and orphanage. In 1898, a new Gothic chapel was designed by Father Charles Benedict Nain, a priest from the Church of St Peter and St Paul and a trained architect who also designed the distinctive wings of St Joseph’s Institution. The chapel was completed in 1903 and consecrated on 11 June 1904. Classes were started for Chinese-speaking girls at four bungalows rented from Hotel Van Wijk (also known as Hotel Van Dyke), adjacent to the

A MOMENT IN TIME

HISTORYChijmes reveals how beautifully that love does in fact conquer all. Its odyssey from struggling convent school to resplendent living history was never easy, but then most worthwhile journeys are always challenging. Chijmes was once the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (CHIJ), established in 1854. The order of the Holy Infant Jesus was founded by a Frenchman, Father Nicholas Barre. Born in Amiens, France in 1621 and educated at a Jesuit college in his hometown, Nicholas Barre decided to dedicate his life to God. He joined the Convent des Minimes, one of the strictest orders in the church and was appointed Professor of Theology. Despite his success, he was a man of humility and the idea of improving education in France struck him.

Young women volunteers of Rouen ran the first “Charitable Schools” in their town to teach the poor children. They went each morning to teach, gathering the children from home to home if necessary. Father Barre realized the need of spiritual bond among the sisters to counteract rising opposition from the other “writing masters” or teachers of that time. Thus, he began a new religious congregation. As membership increased, the schools multiplied. In Paris, he named his schools simply as “School of the Holy Infant

Jesus”. In 1678, he founded a Novitiate for the Sisters on the Seine.

However, in May 1686, his health declined and on 24 May, Father Barre’s soul returned to the Maker. By the end of the century, less than 25 years after the opening of the Mother-House in Paris, Father Barre’s congregation was directing 80 establishments for free education and 40 boarding schools in the French provinces. The period of office of Rev Mother de Faudoas (1837-1877) saw a wonderful expansion in the Institute’s work. The Institute developed rapidly after official approval by the Holy See of Rome was given. It spread from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, to the Far East - from America to England, Spain, Malaya, Japan and even to Thailand.

The first missionary trip to the East was made in 1851 by five nuns but it was a failure. The Superior of the party died at sea, another caught brain-fever and a third left on reaching Singapore. Only two nuns were left and another party had to be sent. Sister Mathilde was chosen as the Superior of this new party of four Sisters who finally reached Penang on 28 October 1852 after a tiring journey of six months.

A MOMENT IN TIME

convent site. In October 1931, the convent bought the hotel and demolished it. A new block of classrooms was built in 1933 that became Victoria Girls’ School, later St Nicholas Girls’ School.

Relocation of school and development of CHIJMESAs early as the 1960s, there was talk of developing what was known then as Raffles International Centre, where Raffles City now stands. By the early 1970s, the government was considering this in tandem with plans to develop a mass transport system. All these plans earmarked the large convent site for redevelopment. The government eventually acquired the land from the convent in 1983, and the schools were allocated a new site in Toa Payoh.

On 3 November 1983, mass was held in the chapel for the last time, after which it was deconsecrated for non-religious use. By December, the primary and secondary schools had vacated the Victoria Street site and moved to their new premises in Toa Payoh, where they began

operations the following year.

At the original convent site, the secondary school building was demolished in 1984 to build the MRTC headquarters. After initially indicating that it would undertake the restoration of the site, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) put up the site for sale in March 1990. To preserve the ambience of the remaining buildings, URA gazetted Caldwell House and the chapel as national monuments in 1990, and designated the entire complex a conservation area with high restoration standards and strict usage guidelines.

The buildings underwent extensive restoration works before the complex reopened in 1996 as CHIJMES. Pronounced “chimes”, the name incorporates the initials of the original school and echoes its history as the site of a chapel and schools.

9

Classes were started for Chinese-speaking girls at four bungalows rented from Hotel Van Wijk (also known as Hotel Van Dyke), adjacent to the convent site. In October 1931, the convent bought the hotel and demolished it. A new block of classrooms was built in 1933 that became Victoria Girls’ School, later St Nicholas Girls’ School.

Relocation of school and development of CHIJMESAs early as the 1960s, there was talk of developing what was known then as Raffles International Centre, where Raffles City now stands. By the early 1970s, the government was considering this in tandem with plans to develop a mass transport system. All these plans earmarked the large convent site for redevelopment. The government eventually acquired the land from the convent in 1983, and the schools were allocated a new site in Toa Payoh.

On 3 November 1983, mass was held in the chapel for the last time, after which it was deconsecrated for non-religious use. By December, the primary and secondary schools

had vacated the Victoria Street site and moved to their new premises in Toa Payoh, where they began operations the following year.

At the original convent site, the secondary school building was demolished in 1984 to build the MRTC headquarters. After initially indicating that it would undertake the restoration of the site, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) put up the site for sale in March 1990. To preserve the ambience of the remaining buildings, URA gazetted Caldwell House and the chapel as national monuments in 1990, and designated the entire complex a conservation area with high restoration standards and strict usage guidelines.

The buildings underwent extensive restoration works before the complex reopened in 1996 as CHIJMES. Pronounced “chimes”, the name incorporates the initials of the original school and echoes its history as the site of a chapel and schools.

9

A MOMENT IN TIMEA MOMENT IN TIME

HISTORY

“It was a joy to learn new things.” Tan Mei Xing, Class of 1972

11

The architecture design fea-tured inside of the chapel.

The Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus is different for being an architecturally self-contained city block in Singapore groups of buildings of different styles and periods are clustered in order to maintain a diversity in aesthetics. Built during 1840 to 1841, the George Drumgoole Coleman's house for H.C. Caldwell is the oldest building in this enclave that includes the Gothicchapel and Saint Nicholas Girls' School buildings.The Caldwell House where nuns did their sewing, reading and writing for years in the semicircular room while the first storey served as a parlour and visitors' room. The early chapel, which is Gothic style has fine detailed works on plasterwork, the wall frescoes and stained glass panels.

The Anglo-French Gothic chapel which was designed by Father Nain is one of the most elaborate places of worship ever built in Singapore. The chapel was completed in 1904 and declared the following year.

A few of the 648 capitals on the columns of the Chapel and a spiral staircase along a corridor. The various buildings are related by design with the intent to form exterior spaces which would be pleasing for its users, and were used for church school activities until November 1983 when the school vacated the premises. The spaces contained within the whole block have been adapted for public use which has formed one of the major buildings in the Central Area.

ARCHITECTURE

A MOMENT IN TIME

the designs of the gothic style portrays in the chapel and the decorated stained glass.

The Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus is different for being an architecturally self-contained city block in Singapore groups of buildings of different styles and periods are clustered in order to maintain a diversity in aesthetics. Built during 1840 to 1841, the George Drumgoole Coleman's house for H.C. Caldwell is the oldest building in this enclave that includes the Gothicchapel and Saint Nicholas Girls' School buildings.The Caldwell House where nuns did their sewing, reading and writing for years in the semicircular room while the first storey served as a parlour and visitors' room. The early chapel, which is Gothic style has fine detailed works on plasterwork, the wall frescoes and stained glass panels.

The Anglo-French Gothic chapel which was designed by Father Nain is one of the most elaborate places of worship ever built in Singapore. The chapel was completed in 1904 and declared the following year.

A few of the 648 capitals on the columns of the Chapel and a spiral staircase along a corridor. The various buildings are related by design with the intent to form exterior spaces which would be pleasing for its users, and were used for church school activities until November 1983 when the school vacated the premises. The spaces contained within the whole block have been adapted for public use which has formed one of the major buildings in the Central Area.

ARCHITECTURE

A MOMENT IN TIME

the designs of the gothic style portrays in the chapel and the decorated stained glass.

FORMER CHIJ SCHOOL