Providence Journal
September 21, 2007
http://www.projo.com/news/content/EB_NPTCLUNY21_09-21-07_MC772PJ.314a662.html
Newport — For more than a half-century, 13.5 acres of pastoral and secluded property in one of the most desirable areas of Newport has been home to the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny.
It was there that members of the Catholic order took their vows, received their training and managed all of their North American missionary efforts. The nuns not only appreciated the tranquility of their sprawling natural surroundings on Brenton Road, but they also cut loose with an occasional skate on the frozen salt marsh or a toboggan ride down their hill.
Now, with this week's announcement that the site of their Convent and Provincial House will be sold by the Diocese of Providence, the sisters are voluntarily moving to a new home in Middletown and their old property is facing the possibility of being developed into luxury housing.
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| Purchased in 1954, the Cluny Sisters Convent and Provencial Home includes two buildings, the main structure being a flat-roofed 10,516-square-foot modern brick building. Photo by Frieda Squires |
"It is sad," Sister Joan Van der Zyden said yesterday while standing amid numerous boxes already packed or soon-to-be packed. "The sisters were there for 54 years.… It's a beautiful piece of property. There's a salt water marsh that comes into the back of the property. So the back windows of the original house look out across the grass and down into the salt water marsh, with the ocean in the background. Everyone had a great sense of peace when they were here."
The order determined two years ago that it was being squeezed between rising property maintenance costs and steadily declining membership, said Van der Zyden, who as the organization's "provincial" is the leader of St. Joseph of Cluny's 29 sites in the U.S. and Canada. Over the years, some of the aging sisters have died and some have retired, moving to different residences in the area or to their native Ireland. Most recently, only Van der Zyden and two others lived at the convent.
"It was just becoming too expensive for us to maintain the property and pay the expense of being there with so few sisters living there," said Van der Zyden.
For the past year and a half, the order has been looking for a new home. On an appropriate date last winter, March 19, St. Joseph's Day, the order purchased a house on Restmere Terrace in Middletown, near the Newport line. The house has enough living space for the sisters as well as room for offices and a chapel.
"By owning a smaller place, we … decrease our operating expenses.… In the future, we'll have the asset of the house. We saw it as more of an investment," said Van der Zyden. "I think the new place is exciting. The sisters were all very happy with the space. We'll also be very happy when the move is finished!"
The Diocese of Providence, which acquired the former Arthur Curtiss James estate in 1954, owns the property. It announced on Wednesday that it will sell the Brenton Road property and six others across the state to reduce debt partly related to the $14.2-million settlement of the clergy sexual-abuse case.
The property includes two buildings, an older one to the rear which is just 567 square feet and a two-story, flat-roofed modern brick building closer to the road, which is 10,516 square feet. They are assessed by the city at $850,500. The land is assessed at $2.5 million, for a total value of $3.3 million.
City assessor Allan Booth said that the appraiser does not determine the actual redevelopment or subdivision potential of properties.
"The presumption from the revaluation company is that it's the best you can do. The revaluation company is not paid to do any analysis of how much is buildable and whether it would meet zoning to be subdivided," Booth said.
The land is in a residential zone with a minimum lot size of 4 acres.
"The land is probably worth more than $2.5 million if you can get [several] lots out of it," he said. On other hand, someone looking to own all 13.5 acre themselves "would not have any problem replacing or reconfiguring that 10,000-square-foot structure into a substantial home with nice views."
Across the street from the property is the order's school, which sits on eight acres. It's not going anywhere. In fact, plans call for its main 5,900-square-foot building, to be renovated and expanded soon. Its staff and administration is almost entirely lay people, said Van der Zyden. But two sisters still work at the school and three serve on the school board.
"It's sad for the school community because we were always just across the street," said Van der Zyden. But, she said, "We made it clear we are still part of the school. The sisters are the trustees. It's our school. It's the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny School.… The sisters are still very involved."
Next week, the sisters will say a final farewell to the Brenton Road convent, whose chapel is where Van der Zyden took her initial vows in 1985 and her final vows in 1993. Like other sisters, she has come and gone from Newport numerous times over the years.
"The sisters are getting together one evening to have a prayer service," she said. "We'll say our goodbyes to the house and the property and all of the memories there."
Contact: rsalit@projo.com
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