St. Stanislaus Seminary
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| St. Stanislaus Seminary | |
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| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
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| Location: | Florissant, Missouri |
| Coordinates: | Coordinates: |
| Built/Founded: | 1840 |
| Architectural style(s): | Greek Revival |
| Added to NRHP: | 1972 |
| Governing body: | Private |
St. Stanislaus Seminary is a former Society of Jesus (Jesuits) seminary in Florissant, Missouri. It was the longest countinuously operated Jesuit novitiate in the United States.[1]
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[edit] History
[edit] Working life
The seminary was founded in 1823 as some log buildings and a large farm to feed the missionaries. It was named for Stanislaus Kostka. The main building, now known as the Old Rock Building, was built in 1840 from limestone quarried by the Jesuits.[2] Pierre-Jean De Smet was based in St. Stanislaus Seminary for some years.[1]
The seminary was closed in 1971 due to a lack of religious vocations. Two years earlier, it had already transferred its collegiate program to Saint Louis University. Most of what was left of the property, 35 acres, was sold to The Missouri District of The United Pentecostal Church International. The Old Rock Building and 4 acres of land remained Jesuit property until 2003.[3]
[edit] Museum
In 1973, the seminary became the Museum of the Western Jesuit Missions, but closed again in 2001, the museum moving to Saint Louis University to become part of the Museum of Art there.[2]
[edit] The property
The property was largely self-sufficient in it's day. The current building was built by the seminarians and monks with limestone from the banks of the Missouri River, and it has walls 3 feet (0.91 m) thick. The wooden parts came from walnut, logged from the property by the Jesuits, and the bricks were also made on site. The seminary fed itself with an orchard, a chicken ranch, a cattle barn, wheat fields, vineyards, a butcher shop, a creamery and a bakery.[2] The former farm property is now a St. Louis County park.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Pilgrimage Through the Catholic Midwest", Regina Coeli, Society of Saint Pius X, February 2008. Retrieved on 2008-03-21.
- ^ a b c The Museum of the Western Jesuit Missions. Retrieved on 2008-03-21.
- ^ a b St. Stanislaus Seminary. Retrieved on 2008-03-21.
