St. Vincent's Young Ladies Academy 1838-1923

St. Vincent's Young Ladies Academy was perched on a knoll at the corner of Good Hope and Williams streets, spreading over the east side of the block of Spanish. With an awesome view, it faced the Mississippi River, as did most homes on that side of Spanish.

Established by the Sisters of Loretto at the Foot of the Cross, it was thought to have been the first school for young ladies west of the Mississippi. Led by Mother Benedicta Fenwick and seven sisters from Kentucky in 1838, a suitable long frame building with a high stone foundation was bought from Benjamin Horrell. According to Hazel Huhn Harrison's story in "Biography of Historic Cape Girardeau County," an addition was added to accommodate the classrooms and dormitory. It is said a Mr. Doyle built the academy.

Young ladies came from all over the country, mostly the South, to the school which had an excellent reputation during an era when young ladies were just beginning to acquire an education as their brothers.

It was a very attractive campus for the young ladies. There was an extensive formal flower garden bordered with a hedge, cared for by the priests of St. Vincent's College, as well as a vegetable garden. White cobblestones lined the steep southern border of the convent, giving the impression of it being on a brow of a hill.

Enrollment increased and all was going well until ominous clouds began to gather in the west. The wind began to pick up on Nov. 27, 1850... Coming was the devastating tornado that ravished the downtown area. The academy's roof, porches, chapel and classrooms were demolished.

A new building was soon constructed of brick and frame that served the students well for the rest of its time. The rooms were very attractive with high ceilings. Trees shaded the front and back verandas.

The sisters lived in the convent attached to the south end of the main building and joined by a latticed passageway on the second level (not visible in the 1851 picture).

Besides out-of-town students, a number of Cape Girardeau ladies attended the school. To name a few were Misses Clara and Anna Osterloh, Mrs. Charles Cofer, Mrs. Frank Carmack, Mrs. Emil Pott, Mrs. Burwell Fox Jr., Misses Berne Hoche, Marie Friant, Frances and Vivian Bohnsack, Edith Krammer, Esther Foley, Ann Wilson, Julia Moon Peironnet, and the four daughters of Sebastian Albert.

Not only did the students learn the academics of the three R's, they were taught the social graces of fine arts; music of violin, piano and voice by Sister Bertrand; needlework; quilting; drawing; china painting by Sister Stanislaus and waxed fruit creations, according to Lee Albert, brother of the sisters attending. As he stated in his writing, "Memories of Cape Girardeau," "We found a large quantity in the attic, so they must have excelled!"

The academy closed in 1923, having celebrated the 50th and 75th anniversaries, with many past students attending. The building was razed in 1938, and the land was sold in the 1940s.