In 1875, the sisters Adèle and Joséphine Mérigault initiated and financed the construction of a building that served as an orphanage, a convent for the sisters, a dispensary, and a domestic school. These missions punctuated the life of the Franciscans for more than 140 years. In 2011, the nuns decided to sell the site to build a more modern complex nearby. The building bought by the city of Deauville in 2012 is today a varied cultural space that includes a media library, exhibition spaces, workshops, a restaurant, and an auditorium.