Saint Celeste's Mercy Almshouse

Entrance
Poorly furnished, this almshouse betrays itself of its humble origins. Small wooden tables and a few chairs are scattered about the floor, providing the only seating. The large mahogany bar, a throwback to the time when the building served as a boarding house, now serves as storage for clean linens. Stairs climb out of view to another floor and an open doorway leads north to a small chapel. A sign hangs over the eastern doorway.

Alms for the Poor
Wall-mounted glass lamps provide this room with dim light during the evening hours. Years of smoke have turned the wood planks a darker, dreary color, and the walls still smell faintly of tabac and other sweeter, more exotic herbs. Several rectangular patches of cleaner wood upon the walls mark where paintings or tapestries once hung; now they serve as borders for smaller paintings of various religious scenes. Extending from the eastern wall is a small fireplace of red and grey brick, with two overstuffed chairs cozying up to the hearth. Over the mantel is a painted rendition of Saint Celeste, for which the almshouse has been named. Between the chairs, on a small table are copies of the Erra Pater, with a small sign urging visitors to take one.

Alms Storehouse
Oil lanterns mounted on the walls illuminate the patchwork wooden walls, worn and repaired over the ages. Urns of grain and sacks of flour line the room, stocked in preparation for the masses. In the center of the room, three rotary querns stand erected for the regular, daily purpose of grinding down grains. To accompany the stores, a bread oven takes the place of a converted fireplace in the northeastern corner. An archway leads south into the chapel.

Chapel
This small but airy chapel has deep red stained glass windows on three sides. Two rows of worn oak pews flank a center aisle which leads to a modest altar erected before the northern wall. In line with the pews, iron candelabra with tall stands march down toward the altar, bearing wax candlesticks in alternating colors of red and white.

Upstairs Hall
The landing is dimly lit by a wall-mounted oil lamp. Open doorways lead south and east, and a short hallway extends northwards. Stairs lead down to the first floor. A faded number 1 can still be seen near the south doorway.

The walls of this room have been stacked with miscellaneous items such as clothing, washboards, buckets, and drying racks. The items continue on into the north part of the hallway.

Boarding Rooms
Three small, narrow beds have been set against the walls in this room, leaving plenty of floorspace to lay out mats or sleeping rolls. Other than a washstand and chamberpot in one corner, and the thick beige rugs on the floor, the room is bare, save the eastern wall. A painted mural covers the entirety of the wall, breaking the monotony of the barren wood.