A wooden convent building designed and built in 1895 by Benjamin Woolfield Mountfort as a one storey building for the Anglican sisters of the Community of the Sacred Name. Located at the corner of St Aspagh and Barbadoes streets, Christchurch.
The order was originally known as the Christchurch Deaconesses' Institute, and they were housed on Gloucester and then George Streets in Christchurch between 1893-1895.
In 1900 a second rimu two storey building was added; designed by Mountfort's son Cyril Mountfort. It has a chapel decorated with timber carvings and stained glass windows created by British Arts and Crafts artist Veronica Whall.
A third Victorian gothic building of brick was erected in 1991-1912 and designed by J G Collins of Armson, Collins, and Harman.
All three buildings are a Category One listing with New Zealand Historic Places Trust (registration number 4387).
After damaged was sustained in the 2010 and 2011 Christchurch earthquakes, the brick building at 181 Barbadoes Street was demolished.
In 2015 the Community of the Sacred Name sold the remaining wooden buildings to the charity Home and Family (formerly Society for the Protection of Women and Children) which is restoring the building for their use.
