History of Villa Maria Academy: 1892-2022

Matthew Rink, Erie Times-News
·4 min read

Villa Maria Academy will graduate its final class of students June 5 at the Warner Theatre before the all-girls parochial school is consolidated into the all-boys Cathedral Preparatory School in the fall.

End of an era:Villa Maria Academy's final class closes door on school's storied history

The institution has a 130-year storied history that begins in the early 1890s. Here are some of the major historical events that have occurred:

  • May 29, 1892 ― Dedication of Villa Maria Academy. Rev. Thomas A. Casey, V.G., presented to the Sisters of St. Joseph the deed for the site of Villa Maria in the entire block bound by Eighth, Ninth, Liberty and Plum streets. Casey helped plan the building and gave generously toward its erection and furnishings.

  • Sept. 8, 1892 ― Formal opening of Villa Maria as an academy for girls. The charter of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Northwestern Pennsylvania, by an amended act of the Pennsylvania Legislature, April 19, 1892, empowered the community to conduct courses of higher education.

  • Aug. 15, 1897 ― Villa Maria was formally declared the Motherhouse of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Northwestern Pennsylvania.

  • June 21, 1904 ― Formal opening of the first annex. The annex was erected along Liberty Street. The new building provided additional facilities for the school (auditorium, music and art conservatory). This was known as The Belle Arts Building.

  • 1925 — Villa Maria College is established.

  • July 27, 1927 ― Dedication of Gannon Hall and Our Lady’s Chapel. This second addition to Villa Maria was dedicated and consecrated by the Most Rev. John Mark Gannon. At the laying of the cornerstone for the new building, Bishop Gannon presented the high altar for Our Lady’s Chapel in memory of his father and mother. The expansion would become home to Villa Maria College.

  • 1928 ― Villa Maria Academy and Villa Maria Elementary are separated into grades 9-12 and 1-8, respectively; Sister Mary Edward Lloyd is appointed principal. She serves in this position until 1934.

  • 1940s ― Boys were enrolled in the primary grades early in the school’s history, but this co-educational arrangement ends in that decade.

  • Sept. 8, 1953 ― Villa Maria Academy moves to West Lake Road, Villa Maria Elementary continues in its pursuit of including the fine arts in the standard grade school curriculum. By this time the school has become known as Villa Maria Grade School and shares space with Villa Maria College.

  • 1961 ― Villa Maria College moves to the buildings at 2551 W. Eighth St. in Millcreek Township, Villa Maria Elementary moves to the west side of the building at Eighth and Plum streets.

  • 1970s — Villa Maria Elementary Schools begins accepting boys.

  • Dec. 5, 1970 ― Sister Marie Rene Higgins conducted the first classes for learning disabled students at Villa Maria Elementary.

  • 1971 ― The Learning Disabilities Center is established as a component of Villa Maria Elementary. The name is changed to the Perceptual Development Center in 1973.

  • 1975 ― Villa Maria Elementary becomes a unit of Villa Maria College’s campus.

  • 1981 ― The Perceptual Development Center closes and students are enrolled in the regular classrooms at VME: VME returns to the status of a private school under the administration of the Sisters of St. Joseph.

  • September 1983 ― All-day kindergarten program begins at Villa Maria Elementary with students in attendance during the same hours as those in grades 1 to 8.

  • July 1, 1989 ― Villa Maria College merges with Gannon University; Villa Maria Academy begins accepting male students.

  • Jan. 29, 1993 ― Villa Maria Elementary School announces move to Villa Maria Center at 2551 W. Eighth St.

  • Sept. 7, 1993 ― Villa Maria Elementary School welcomes its students on the Villa Maria Center Campus.

  • 2009 ―The Sisters of St. Joseph ends sponsorship of the Villa Maria Academy, which merges with Cathedral Preparatory School. Villa Maria returns to an all-girls school.

  • Oct. 4, 2016 ― Sister Mary Herrmann announces that Villa Maria Elementary School will close on June 30, 2017.

  • November 2020 ― The board of directors of the Erie Catholic Preparatory Schools announces that Villa Maria will be consolidated with Cathedral Preparatory School in the 2022-2023 school year.

  • May 25 ― the final class of 67 seniors celebrate Mary's Day, marking the final day of school.

  • June 5 ― Students from both Cathedral Prep and Villa Maria graduate in separate ceremonies at the Warner Theatre.

  • Sept. 7 ― The new school year will begin for the consolidated Cathedral Prep.

Sources: Sisters of St. Joseph of Northwestern Pennsylvania, Erie Times-News archives

Contact Matthew Rink at mrink@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ETNrink.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie's Villa Maria Academy: A timeline