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Saint Mary's School (Raleigh, North Carolina)
Encyclopedia
Saint Mary's School is a private, four-year female boarding school
serving grades 9-12
in Raleigh
, North Carolina
. It is operated as an independent school, but has an historic association with the Episcopal Church
and has an episcopal chapel, St. Mary's Chapel
, on the school's grounds. The school formerly operated as Saint Mary's College and educated girls in grades 11-12 and their freshman and sophomore years in college. The school changed to a four year high school in 1998, at which point it changed its name.
degrees. Enrollment for the 2008-2009 school year is 297 full-time students. The average class size is 13 students..
Among the superlatives assigned to the school include the oldest continuously operated school in Raleigh, North Carolina, the third oldest girl's school in the state, and the seventh largest girls boarding school in the United States.
and the wife and children of Jefferson Davis
. Several of the early buildings on campus were constructed using stone discarded from the construction of the North Carolina State Capitol
, which is located only a few blocks to the east. Throughout the 19th century, the area around the campus was sparsely populated, as it was mostly occupied by large plantation
s. When a street car line was installed past the school, the surrounding land was sold off and subdivided into densely populated neighborhoods. Currently, the campus is considered to be part of Downtown Raleigh.
The school's oldest structures, East and West Rock, are matching buildings of discarded stone from the building of the second State Capitol in the 1830s. The brick Greek Revival building between them was erected soon after; it was remodeled in 1907 to include a Neoclassical Revival front portico and dormitory wings. It was named Smedes Hall for the school's first president.
Two buildings erected in the later nineteenth century are Gothic in style: the 1855 Richard Upjohn Carpenter Gothic Chapel and the 1887 Gothic Revival Language Arts building, a brick structure with pointed-arch windows.
The early twentieth century saw much construction; nearly all the permanent brick buildings, which were rendered in the Colonial Revival style, survive. Later construction continued to complement earlier buildings, and the view of the campus from Hillsborough Street remains notable for its historic integrity.
St. Mary’s School was listed on the National Register in 1978.
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
serving grades 9-12
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. It is operated as an independent school, but has an historic association with the Episcopal Church
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
and has an episcopal chapel, St. Mary's Chapel
St. Mary's Chapel (Raleigh, North Carolina)
St. Mary's Chapel is a historic Episcopal chapel at 900 Hillsborough Street in Raleigh, North Carolina on the grounds of St. Mary's School.It was built by Richard Upjohn in 1855 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 as a Historic Place in Wake County, North...
, on the school's grounds. The school formerly operated as Saint Mary's College and educated girls in grades 11-12 and their freshman and sophomore years in college. The school changed to a four year high school in 1998, at which point it changed its name.
School information
The school has 49 faculty members, with 66% having Master's degrees and 9% having DoctorateDoctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
degrees. Enrollment for the 2008-2009 school year is 297 full-time students. The average class size is 13 students..
Among the superlatives assigned to the school include the oldest continuously operated school in Raleigh, North Carolina, the third oldest girl's school in the state, and the seventh largest girls boarding school in the United States.
History
The school was founded in 1842 as a successor to the Episcopal School for Boys, which had been founded earlier in 1833. During the United States Civil War, the campus hosted the families of several prominent southerners, including the daughter of Robert E. LeeRobert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
and the wife and children of Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Finis Davis , also known as Jeff Davis, was an American statesman and leader of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, serving as President for its entire history. He was born in Kentucky to Samuel and Jane Davis...
. Several of the early buildings on campus were constructed using stone discarded from the construction of the North Carolina State Capitol
North Carolina State Capitol
The North Carolina State Capitol is the main house of government of the U.S. state of North Carolina. Housing the offices of the Governor of North Carolina, it is located in the state capital of Raleigh on Union Square at One East Edenton Street. The cornerstone of the Greek Revival building was...
, which is located only a few blocks to the east. Throughout the 19th century, the area around the campus was sparsely populated, as it was mostly occupied by large plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
s. When a street car line was installed past the school, the surrounding land was sold off and subdivided into densely populated neighborhoods. Currently, the campus is considered to be part of Downtown Raleigh.
Campus
Saint Mary's buildings date from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and also include antebellum structures individually recognized as Local Historic Landmarks. Three buildings from the 1830s are visible from Hillsborough Street from behind a wooded glade of large oaks, hollies, and magnolias.The school's oldest structures, East and West Rock, are matching buildings of discarded stone from the building of the second State Capitol in the 1830s. The brick Greek Revival building between them was erected soon after; it was remodeled in 1907 to include a Neoclassical Revival front portico and dormitory wings. It was named Smedes Hall for the school's first president.
Two buildings erected in the later nineteenth century are Gothic in style: the 1855 Richard Upjohn Carpenter Gothic Chapel and the 1887 Gothic Revival Language Arts building, a brick structure with pointed-arch windows.
The early twentieth century saw much construction; nearly all the permanent brick buildings, which were rendered in the Colonial Revival style, survive. Later construction continued to complement earlier buildings, and the view of the campus from Hillsborough Street remains notable for its historic integrity.
St. Mary’s School was listed on the National Register in 1978.
See also
- St. Mary's Chapel (Raleigh, North Carolina)St. Mary's Chapel (Raleigh, North Carolina)St. Mary's Chapel is a historic Episcopal chapel at 900 Hillsborough Street in Raleigh, North Carolina on the grounds of St. Mary's School.It was built by Richard Upjohn in 1855 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 as a Historic Place in Wake County, North...
- List of Registered Historic Places in North CarolinaNational Register of Historic Places listings in Wake County, North CarolinaThis list includes properties and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Wake County, North Carolina. Click the "Map of all coordinates" link to the right to view a Google map of all properties and districts with latitude and longitude coordinates in the table below.-See...