ANDERSON COUNTY - HISTORY - St. Mary’s Academy, 1877-1965 *************************************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm Submitted by Scott Fitzgerald – scottfitzgerald@tyler.net East Texas Genealogical Society, President 29 December 2004 *************************************************************************** Originally published in The Tracings, Volume 2, No. 1, Winter 1983 by the Anderson County Genealogical Society, copyright assigned to the East Texas Genealogical Society. Catholic education in Palestine received its start when Father Bordelon invited the Sisters of Saint Agnes to open a school in Palestine in 1877. It was located on Lacy Street at the intersection with North Jackson and although it was small, it was a good start for the training of the young children of Catholics of Palestine. By 1882 the Sisters of Divine Providence from Our Lady of the Lake Convent in San Antonio were in charge of the school in a house on Tennessee Avenue. The same site of which the present building was erected in 1901. Its was privately owned by the Sister Order and was dedicated to teaching, not on the three R’s but music, both instrumental and choral, elocution, deportment, Christian Morals and needlework. This was a twelve grad curricula school accepting both day and boarding students. Many persons here were introducted to their elementary music lessons at St. Mary’s where an outstanding music department was maintained all through the years. Much of the time the teachers in vocal lessons, violin, woodwinds and brass instruments were the only ones available until the public schools started band departments. Thus it was that St. Mary’s carried the responsibility for musical and cultural training for Palestinians. The school was accredited by both Catholic University of American and Texas State Department of Education. The Sisters maintained an esteemed reputation for training the young and their efforts were highly regarded in the whole area as they took boarders from Jacksonville, Elkhart, Grapeland, Crockett, Cayuga, Fairfield and outlying areas that did not offer the advantages that parents were seeking for the families. Alas! it was in 1948 that a lack of teaching sisters forced the school to close. The closure was only temporary and by 1954 the sisters reopened with an eight grade curricula with boarding for elementary boys. Many young ones received a firm foundation in their early education to go on to studies in the local high schools. Good teachers were hard to come by, building repairs were expensive and the school closed permanently in 1965. Many people who received their education at St. Mary’s have fond memories of the teaching personnel, music recitals, plays and pageants in which they participated. Mrs. Leo Fallwell (Julia Jander) is said to be the very first graduated from this school. Mrs. Fallwell is well known in Palestine and Sacred Heart Parish where she lived most of her life. However, she is in advanced age and is now making her home with a daughter in Houston. Mrs. C. W. Jander (Jewell Latham), Mrs. C. D. Dashiell (Clara Merganthal) both of Palestine and May Culbreath made up the graduating class of 1915. St. Mary’s school is presently known to Sacred Heart parishioners as the parish hall where classes in Christian Doctrine are taught, wedding receptions are held, meetings, dinners, quilting bees and all parish activities are held. The hallowed halls retain today the same zest that was once contained in the new building eighty years ago. The “Bells of St. Mary’s shall forever ring in the hearts of all the former students as the building stands as an honorable memorial to all who labored within those walls. Transcriber’s note: There is a grainy black and white photo of St. Mary’s Academy, Palestine, Texas at the end of this article.