Notre Dame Academy and Convent
Encyclopedia
The Notre Dame Academy and Convent is located at 3501 State Street in the Florence
neighborhood on the north end of Omaha, Nebraska
. It is significant for its ethnic association with the Czech population in Nebraska
as the only school and convent of the Czechoslovakian School Sisters de Notre Dame (this is not the same order as the School Sisters of Notre Dame
) in the United States. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1998. The groups were home to a high school for girls from 1925 through 1974.
, Moravia
, Silesia
and Slovakia
and emigrate to the United States. Once in the United States the immigrants tended to establish Czech-only neighborhoods and towns that were almost self-sufficient, with Czech-language shops, banks, churches and schools. The Czechoslovakian School Sisters of Notre Dame came to the United States to sustain Czech immigrants by teaching the Czech language and culture.
The order purchased Seven Oaks Farm, Father Edward J. Flanagan's original site for Boys Town
. Afterwards, Sisters were regular staff at Boys Town.
, Omaha architects Matthew Lahr and Carl Stangel designed the E-shaped convent and school in 1924. It was constructed in phases over the next twenty-six years, all complying with the original design. It was designed in the late Italian Renaissance Revival style.
Florence, Nebraska
Florence is a neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska on the city's north end and originally one of the oldest cities in Nebraska. It was incorporated by the Nebraska Territorial Legislature on March 10, 1857. The site of Winter Quarters for Mormon migrants traveling west, it has the oldest cemetery for...
neighborhood on the north end of Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
. It is significant for its ethnic association with the Czech population in Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
as the only school and convent of the Czechoslovakian School Sisters de Notre Dame (this is not the same order as the School Sisters of Notre Dame
School Sisters of Notre Dame
School Sisters of Notre Dame is a worldwide order of Roman Catholic nuns devoted to primary, secondary, and post-secondary education. Their life in mission centers on prayer, community life and ministry...
) in the United States. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1998. The groups were home to a high school for girls from 1925 through 1974.
History
The 1880s and 90s saw nearly 100,000 Czechs leave the regions of BohemiaBohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
, Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
, Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
and Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
and emigrate to the United States. Once in the United States the immigrants tended to establish Czech-only neighborhoods and towns that were almost self-sufficient, with Czech-language shops, banks, churches and schools. The Czechoslovakian School Sisters of Notre Dame came to the United States to sustain Czech immigrants by teaching the Czech language and culture.
The order purchased Seven Oaks Farm, Father Edward J. Flanagan's original site for Boys Town
Girls and Boys Town
Boys Town, formerly Girls and Boys Town and Father Flanagan's Boys' Home, is a non-profit organization dedicated to caring for its children and families, with national headquarters in the village of Boys Town, Nebraska...
. Afterwards, Sisters were regular staff at Boys Town.
Design
Influenced by the 1898 Trans-Mississippi ExpositionTrans-Mississippi Exposition
The Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition was a world's fair held in Omaha, Nebraska from June 1 to November 1 of 1898. Its goal was to showcase the development of the entire West, stretching from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Coast. The Indian Congress was held concurrently...
, Omaha architects Matthew Lahr and Carl Stangel designed the E-shaped convent and school in 1924. It was constructed in phases over the next twenty-six years, all complying with the original design. It was designed in the late Italian Renaissance Revival style.