ARCHIVES: ST. BENEDICT PAROCHIAL SCHOOL 1878-1991

People rightly associate Subiaco ABBEY with Subiaco ACADEMY, our all-boys education apostolate that we date having begun in 1887. What people often fail to realize is that the Abbey actually had TWO educational endeavors operating at the same time on the same monastery land for over one hundred years. It was in March of 1878 that the new parish of St. Benedict would be created when the monks first arrived in Arkansas. It was then in November of that same year that a co-educational (boys and girls) parochial school –St. Benedict Parochial School-- would also be founded and operate until its closure in 1991. Thus, the monks first educational foundation was not an all-boys school but was actually co-educational for girls and boys! In 1887, the all-boys Subiaco College would be founded for training young monks and it still survives today in a much expanded form known as Subiaco ACADEMY. For over one hundred years we had a coeducational St. Benedict Parochial School operating next door to the all-boys Subiaco Academy. Provided below is our review of the various buildings that were occupied by the parochial school: 
 

 

Located in a building built in 1878 that combined the convent for the sisters and a school for the parish. You can see the convent/school in the upper left of this photo where it was located on the Ridge. The building was composed of a kitchen (12 x 14), a bedroom (10 x 14), a living room (10 x 14), and a classroom (14 x 24). Sr. Isidora Luebberman (age 23, born in Indiana) and Sr. Josepha Schmidt (age 21, born in Germany) were the first teachers in the co-ed parochial school. A laywoman, Miss Rose Lindi, would teach from 1879-1881. The foundation of this building is still visible on the Ridge today.

 

Located just to the north of the first convent/school. The date of its construction is unknown, but our records show it was required because the number of students were increasing. This photo is from the 1902 First Communion celebration where they are standing in front of that school building. This school served until December 1903 when a new building would be built near the newly constructed stone monastery to the north. The foundation of this second school building is still visible on the Ridge today. 

 

Around the year 1900 a new parochial school building started to be constructed east of the new stone monastery that was also being constructed. This parochial school building became operational in 1903. It was Father Pius who would build this school building as well as a nearby convent for the sisters in 1907. The ground floor contained the furnace and storage area, while the second floor accessed by the steps would take you to classrooms and a small chapel. Later, the ground floor would be renovated to allow for another classroom to be used on the right, with the furnace and storage area on the left. Wood and coal were used to heat the school. This building would be located on what is today the parking lot just west of the present Performing Arts Center (PAC). To the west of the school was a small two-story house for the sisters. 

 

With the ever-growing need for the education of students, Fr. Pius added a third floor in 1916 to the existing school building. This new addition allowed for a reconfiguration of the facility. One the ground floor was the furnace and storage area to the left. On the right was a large room that was used as a parish hall and place for the students to eat lunches they brought from home. It also included a club room for smaller meetings and recreation such as playing cards. On the west end of the second floor there was a classroom for the third, fourth, and fifth grade students. On the east end of the second floor there was a classroom for the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students. The new third floor contained a classroom on the west side for the first and second grade students. The east side contained a chapel.  At its peak it had over 100 students with two sisters and one lay woman (Miss Gertude Sprick) as a teacher.

 

A fifth building was then built in 1946 just across and south of the sisters' residence that would be called "St. Benedict's School". This building would continue to be used for the parochial school until 1968 when the school moved across the road to the new Education Center. In 1998 this building would be renovated and given the name "Wardlaw Hall" in honor of Pat and Vickie Wardlaw's contributions to Subiaco. It is now used as classrooms for Subiaco Academy. 

 

In 1959, construction first began on a house for the St. Benedict Parochial School sisters at St. Benedict's parish. This would be the building located on the right with the red marker. In 1960 the parish would continue its construction with a round Parish Hall. When not used as a Hall, Fr. Wewer said that the Hall would be used as a skating rink for the youth. The connected education center (with the white roof) was built in 1967-1968 at which time the parochial school moved across the road from St. Benedict School to the new location. From 1940-1991 the school operated as a public school and part of the Scranton School district. Over the years the number of students began to dwindle. 1977 saw the last 8th grade graduating class; 1987 was the last year there was a 6th grade; 1988 was K through 4th grade; and in 1989 it was reduced to 1st grade-24th grade.