Academy of the Sacred Heart High School (Bloomfield Hills, Michigan)
Encyclopedia
Academy of the Sacred Heart High School is the oldest independent school in Michigan. Founded in 1851 in Detroit, the Academy moved to its 44 acres (178,061.8 m²) campus in Bloomfield Hills
in 1958. It is a Catholic, college-preparatory school for young women from infancy through Grade 12 and for boys from infancy through Grade 8 of many cultures and faiths. The Academy is a member of the Network of Sacred Heart Schools, which includes 21 schools in the U.S. and an affiliation with the Society of the Sacred Heart in 44 countries around the world.
In 1821 Father Gabriel Richard, a missionary in Detroit visited Mother Rose Philippine Duchesne
in Florissant, Missouri
. Father Richard asked Mother Duchesne to establish a group in Detroit. This initial request was denied. Father Richard’s wish was not realized until 1848 when Madame Monique Beaubien wrote to Mother Hardy, Superior Provincial of the Society in New York, offering the Society of the Sacred Heart a piece of Beaubien property on Jefferson Avenue for an academy school, on the condition that orphans would also be educated at the institution. On the southwest corner of Jefferson Avenue and St. Antoine Street a building was erected in 1861 at a cost exceeding $30,000. The building was built to accommodate 150 students and for 50 years this was the school.
In 1918 the cornerstone from Jefferson Avenue was placed in its new location as a school was built on Lawrence Avenue. By the 1950s the population shifted northward and the relocation of the school was considered. Reverend Mother Katherine Wansboro bought 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) in Bloomfield Hills. The groundbreaking ceremonies were held in July 1957. The cornerstone, first blessed in 1861 at the original foundation on Jefferson Avenue, then moved to Lawrence Avenue, was now set in place in Bloomfield Hills. The cornerstone was newly inscribed with “Built on Confidence in the Heart of Jesus.” The actual move into the new building took place on July 15, 1958.
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Bloomfield Hills is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan, northwest of downtown Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,869...
in 1958. It is a Catholic, college-preparatory school for young women from infancy through Grade 12 and for boys from infancy through Grade 8 of many cultures and faiths. The Academy is a member of the Network of Sacred Heart Schools, which includes 21 schools in the U.S. and an affiliation with the Society of the Sacred Heart in 44 countries around the world.
Background
Academy of the Sacred Heart was established by St. Madeleine Sophie Barat in 1851 in Detroit. The school moved to Bloomfield Hills in 1958. Kensington Hall, the middle school for boys at the Academy of the Sacred Heart, was established in 2002. The school is dedicated to educating and forming today's young men for academic success. It is committed to understanding how boys think, and developing strategies that best enable them to excel in the classroom.In 1821 Father Gabriel Richard, a missionary in Detroit visited Mother Rose Philippine Duchesne
Rose Philippine Duchesne
Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne, R.S.C.J., was a Catholic Religious Sister and French-American saint. She spent the last half of her life teaching and serving the people of the Midwestern United States....
in Florissant, Missouri
Florissant, Missouri
Florissant is a second-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in northern St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The city has a total population of 52,158 in 2010 census.-History:...
. Father Richard asked Mother Duchesne to establish a group in Detroit. This initial request was denied. Father Richard’s wish was not realized until 1848 when Madame Monique Beaubien wrote to Mother Hardy, Superior Provincial of the Society in New York, offering the Society of the Sacred Heart a piece of Beaubien property on Jefferson Avenue for an academy school, on the condition that orphans would also be educated at the institution. On the southwest corner of Jefferson Avenue and St. Antoine Street a building was erected in 1861 at a cost exceeding $30,000. The building was built to accommodate 150 students and for 50 years this was the school.
In 1918 the cornerstone from Jefferson Avenue was placed in its new location as a school was built on Lawrence Avenue. By the 1950s the population shifted northward and the relocation of the school was considered. Reverend Mother Katherine Wansboro bought 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) in Bloomfield Hills. The groundbreaking ceremonies were held in July 1957. The cornerstone, first blessed in 1861 at the original foundation on Jefferson Avenue, then moved to Lawrence Avenue, was now set in place in Bloomfield Hills. The cornerstone was newly inscribed with “Built on Confidence in the Heart of Jesus.” The actual move into the new building took place on July 15, 1958.