1. Parish Office/Priest’s Residence/Xavier College Marker
Inscription.
Parish Office/Priest’s Residence/Xavier College. Corozal Town Historical Walk.
Parish Office/Priest’s Residence/Xavier College. The priest's residence or "El Convento" was constructed in early the 1890's. Its construction is attributed to Father Gillett who was one of the English Jesuit priests who came to Belize in the 1880's. It was of typical masonry at the time with thick concrete worked stone walls, a two storey building with a long wooden verandah facing the sea. The upstairs with many rooms, was the living quarters of the resident priests - usually two; one for the town and one for rural areas. The downstairs was used as the parish office, an assembly room and an elementary school classroom., It survived Hurricane Janet in 1955 and underwent significant changes when Xavier College was opened in 1959, using one of its rooms as First Form. By 1967 the student population had increased so substantially that the whole building was being used as classrooms for students from First to Fourth Form. A new two storey board building was built next to the College to accommodate the resident priests, a parish office and an assembly room. With the closing of Xavier College to amalgamate with Fletcher's College and the opening of the Corozal Community College in 1978, the convent reverted back to what it was a century earlier, with the original classroom becoming the office of the local manager of Catholic primary schools in the Corozal District.
Parish Office/Priest’s Residence/Xavier College
The priest's residence or "El Convento" was constructed in early the 1890's. Its construction is attributed to Father Gillett who was one of the English Jesuit priests who came to Belize in the 1880's. It was of typical masonry at the time with thick concrete worked stone walls, a two storey building with a long wooden verandah facing the sea. The upstairs with many rooms, was the living quarters of the resident priests - usually two; one for the town and one for rural areas. The downstairs was used as the parish office, an assembly room and an elementary school classroom.
It survived Hurricane Janet in 1955 and underwent significant changes when Xavier College was opened in 1959, using one of its rooms as First Form. By 1967 the student population had increased so substantially that the whole building was being used as classrooms for students from First to Fourth Form. A new two storey board building was built next to the College to accommodate the resident priests, a parish office and an assembly room. With the closing of Xavier College to amalgamate with
Fletcher's College
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and the opening of the Corozal Community College in 1978, the convent reverted back to what it was a century earlier, with the original classroom becoming the office of the local manager of Catholic primary schools in the Corozal District.
Erected by National Institute of Culture and History (NICH). (Marker Number 4 of 7.)
Location. 18° 23.45′ N, 88° 23.165′ W. Marker is in Corozal Town, Corozal. It is on 1st Street South just south of 4th Avenue, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Corozal Town, Corozal 7M11P L1XL6, Belize. Touch for directions.
Regionally, it is in North America, Central America,Mesoamerica, the Western Hemisphere, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, a Spanish colony, and specifically a British colony.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 14 kilometers of this marker,
Photographed by J. Makali Bruton, May 18, 2017
2. Parish Office/Priest’s Residence/Xavier College Marker
To the left of the marker in this view is St. Xavier's Catholic Church.
3. Parish Office/Priest’s Residence/Xavier College
The front of the building mentioned in the marker text can be seen in the distance, now surrounded by other structures.
Photographed by J. Makali Bruton, May 18, 2017
4. Parish Office/Priest’s Residence/Xavier College
This is a view of the reverse of the Parish Office building mentioned in the marker text.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 4, 2017. It was originally submitted on July 4, 2017, by J. Makali Bruton of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 593 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 4, 2017, by J. Makali Bruton of Washington, District of Columbia.
