Frédéric Henri Dupérier, under whose leadership New Iberia was incorporated in 1839, and his wife, Hortense Bérard, donated the land for St. Peter's Catholic Church in 1837. Dupérier asked that this alley remain open for his family's convenience when they walked to church from his home just north of Bayou Teche. Dupérier's home was purchased by the Sisters of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel for use as a convent, day and boarding school in 1871, becoming the permanent location for their school originally opened in 1870. Following the Great Fire of 1899, the alley remained open to accommodate the Sisters and their students. Mt. Carmel Academy continued to educate girls until its closing in 1988.