St. Stanislaus Seminary facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Stanislaus Seminary
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St. Stanislaus Seminary in 1936
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 Location in Missouri
Location in the United States
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| Location | 700 Howdershell Rd., Hazelwood, Missouri |
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| Area | 9.9 acres (4.0 ha) |
| Built | 1840 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 72001491 |
| Added to NRHP | September 22, 1972 |
St. Stanislaus Seminary was a special school for young men who wanted to become priests in the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits. It was founded way back in 1823 near Florissant, Missouri. Today, this area is part of Hazelwood, Missouri. This seminary was famous for being the longest-running Jesuit "novitiate" in the United States. A novitiate is where new members of a religious order learn about their life and training.
Contents
History of the Seminary
Starting the School
The St. Stanislaus Seminary began in 1823 with simple log buildings and a large farm. The farm helped feed the missionaries who had come to Florissant from Maryland. They came at the request of Saint Philippine Duchesne. The seminary was named after Stanislaus Kostka.
The main building, now called the Old Rock Building, was built between 1840 and 1849. The Jesuits themselves quarried the limestone used to build it. Famous Jesuit explorer Pierre-Jean De Smet lived at St. Stanislaus Seminary for some years. Some early students included Peter Joseph Arnoudt and Adrian Hoecken.
Changes Over Time
The seminary closed in 1971 because fewer young men were choosing to become priests. Also, there was a new trend for religious schools to move into cities. Two years earlier, its college program had already moved to Saint Louis University.
Most of the property, about 35 acres (140,000 m2), was sold to The Missouri District of The United Pentecostal Church International. This property then became home to Urshan College and Urshan Graduate School of Theology. Today, the building is used by Gateway Legacy Christian Academy. The Old Rock Building and 4 acres (16,000 m2) of land remained Jesuit property until 2003.
The Museum Years
In 1973, the seminary building became the Museum of the Western Jesuit Missions. This museum showed the history of Jesuit missions in the western United States. However, it closed in 2001. The museum's collection then moved to Saint Louis University and became part of its Museum of Art.
The Seminary Property
The seminary property was largely self-sufficient, meaning it could produce most of what it needed. The main building was built by the seminarians and brothers. They used limestone from the banks of the Missouri River. The walls of the building are very thick, about 3 feet (0.91 m)!
The wooden parts of the building came from walnut trees logged right on the property by the Jesuits. Even the bricks were made on site. The seminary fed itself with its own orchard, a chicken farm, a cattle barn, wheat fields, vineyards, a butcher shop, a creamery, and a bakery.
There was also a cabin on the property where enslaved people lived. Three families are known to have lived there. The names of the first enslaved people brought to the area by DeSmet are remembered on a memorial in Cavalry Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri.
Today, the former farm property is owned by Saint Louis County. It is leased to the Missouri Department of Conservation and is used as a conservation area.
