Old Town in Alexandria, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Saint Mary Parish School
1869 - 1950
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), February 9, 2025
1. Saint Mary Parish School Marker
Inscription.
Saint Mary Parish School. This was the site of Saint Mary's Parish School from 1869 to 1950. Originally St. Mary's Hall, the building was erected in 1858 under the pastorate of Reverend Peter Kroes, S. J. by the Young Catholics' Friend Society. The two-story brick building was surmounted by a cupola with a bell and topped with a cross. It was designed as a meeting and event space for the Society, although original plans also included rooms indented for school use. These classrooms also included rooms intended for school use. These classrooms were large 30 X 28-ft spaces ventilated with flues and heated with pot-bellied stoves. In 1869 St. Mary's Hall was converted into a parochial school that offered free education. This was the first parish-operated school of Saint Mary, although not the first school to be associated with the church. Saint Mary Pastor Father John Smith, S.J. had opened two schools in the 1830s: St. John's Academy, for Boys, on the Northwest corner of Royal and Duke Streets, and the Academy for Young Ladies, on the corner of Duke and Fairfax Streets, run by the Sisters of Charity. Both schools closed by 1841. Classes at Saint Mary Parish School were taught by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, who also administered Saint Mary Academy, a private, all-girls school associated with the Parish, located on North Fairfax Street. Sunday school classes for Saint Mary Black parishioners were held in the church until a separate, dedicated school was built in 1885 at the Northeast corner of Royal and Wilkes Streets to offer full-time, free education. These classes were also taught by the Sisters of the Holy Cross. By the early 1930s, the size of the former Saint Mary's Hall had become insufficient to cope with increased enrollment, and classroom space was added to the Saint Mary Lyceum on Duke Street. In March 1950 the ever-growing school was relocated to a newly constructed building at the corner of Green and Royal Streets, adjacent to the Saint Mary Cemetery. Today it is the site of the Basilica School of Saint Mary.
This was the site of Saint Mary's Parish School from 1869 to 1950. Originally St. Mary's Hall, the building was erected in 1858 under the pastorate of Reverend Peter Kroes, S. J. by the Young Catholics' Friend Society. The two-story brick building was surmounted by a cupola with a bell and topped with a cross. It was designed as a meeting and event space for the Society, although original plans also included rooms indented for school use. These classrooms also included rooms intended for school use. These classrooms were large 30 X 28-ft spaces ventilated with flues and heated with pot-bellied stoves. In 1869 St. Mary's Hall was converted into a parochial school that offered free education. This was the first parish-operated school of Saint Mary, although not the first school to be associated with the church. Saint Mary Pastor Father John Smith, S.J. had opened two schools in the 1830s: St. John's Academy, for Boys, on the Northwest corner of Royal and Duke Streets, and the Academy for Young Ladies, on the corner of Duke and Fairfax Streets, run by the Sisters of Charity. Both schools closed by 1841. Classes at Saint Mary Parish School were taught by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, who also administered Saint Mary Academy, a private, all-girls school associated with the Parish, located on North Fairfax Street. Sunday school
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classes for Saint Mary Black parishioners were held in the church until a separate, dedicated school was built in 1885 at the Northeast corner of Royal and Wilkes Streets to offer full-time, free education. These classes were also taught by the Sisters of the Holy Cross. By the early 1930s, the size of the former Saint Mary's Hall had become insufficient to cope with increased enrollment, and classroom space was added to the Saint Mary Lyceum on Duke Street. In March 1950 the ever-growing school was relocated to a newly constructed building at the corner of Green and Royal Streets, adjacent to the Saint Mary Cemetery. Today it is the site of the Basilica School of Saint Mary.
Erected by The Basilica School of Saint Mary, Alexandria, Virginia.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical month for this entry is March 1950.
Location. 38° 48.08′ N, 77° 2.655′ W. Marker is in Alexandria, Virginia. It is in Old Town. It is at the intersection of Wolfe Street and South Royal Street, on the left when traveling west on Wolfe Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 413 Wolfe St, Alexandria VA 22314, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area and in Northern Virginia. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 9, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 9, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 121 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on February 9, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
