Loretto Academy (Kansas City, Missouri)
Encyclopedia
Loretto Academy, at 1111 W. 39th St in the Westport neighborhood
of Kansas City, Missouri
is a former girls' academy dedicated in 1904 as a "boarding and day school for girls." It is named after the Sisters of Loretto
, who established a presence in Kansas City in 1899.
of Barnett, Haynes & Barnett
, was soon after appointed the architect of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis
.
The academy was the site of a fire in 1909 at a Halloween party; three students lost their lives when a paper dress became ignited by a lit jack-o'-lantern
.
Loretto Academy admitted its first black student in September 1947.
The Academy closed in 1964, and two years later was sold to Calvary Baptist College. The college owned the site for 20 years; it then went through a series of three owners until a 1993 foreclosure
. By then it had been listed on the National Register of Historic Places
for a decade.
The Loretto hosts weddings in the historic cathedral chapel and wedding receptions in the ballroom. The building also offers apartments and offices. The website is http://theloretto.com.
Westport, Kansas City
Westport is a historic neighborhood in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. Originally its own town, it was annexed by Kansas City in 1897. Today, it is one of Kansas City's main entertainment districts.-Background:...
of Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
is a former girls' academy dedicated in 1904 as a "boarding and day school for girls." It is named after the Sisters of Loretto
Sisters of Loretto
Sisters of Loretto or the Loretto Community is a Catholic religious institution, which, according to their mission statement, "strive[s] to bring the healing Spirit of God into our world" and is committed "to improving the conditions of those who suffer from injustice, oppression, and deprivation...
, who established a presence in Kansas City in 1899.
History
The land upon which Loretto Academy was built was purchased in September 1902 by Mother M. Praxedes Carty. The architect of Loretto Academy, Thomas P. BarnettThomas P. Barnett
Thomas P. Barnett , also known professionally as Tom Barnett and Tom P. Barnett, was an American architect and painter from St. Louis, Missouri. Barnett was nationally recognized for both his work in architecture and in painting.-Architectural work:Barnett trained under his father, St. Louis...
of Barnett, Haynes & Barnett
Barnett, Haynes & Barnett
Barnett, Haynes & Barnett was a prominent architectural firm based in St. Louis, Missouri. Their credits include many familiar St. Louis landmarks, especially a number related to the local Catholic church. Their best-known building is probably the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis . A number of...
, was soon after appointed the architect of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis
Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis
The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, also known as the Saint Louis Cathedral or the New Cathedral, was completed in 1914 in St. Louis, Missouri, as the archdiocesan replacement for the Cathedral of St. Louis, King of France...
.
The academy was the site of a fire in 1909 at a Halloween party; three students lost their lives when a paper dress became ignited by a lit jack-o'-lantern
Jack-o'-lantern
A jack-o'-lantern is typically a carved pumpkin. It is associated chiefly with the holiday of Halloween and was named after the phenomenon of strange light flickering over peat bogs, called ignis fatuus or jack-o'-lantern...
.
Loretto Academy admitted its first black student in September 1947.
The Academy closed in 1964, and two years later was sold to Calvary Baptist College. The college owned the site for 20 years; it then went through a series of three owners until a 1993 foreclosure
Foreclosure
Foreclosure is the legal process by which a mortgage lender , or other lien holder, obtains a termination of a mortgage borrower 's equitable right of redemption, either by court order or by operation of law...
. By then it had been listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
for a decade.
The Loretto hosts weddings in the historic cathedral chapel and wedding receptions in the ballroom. The building also offers apartments and offices. The website is http://theloretto.com.