 | ST. PETER CATHOLIC SCHOOL
Established 1854
Constructed in 1888-1890
H.J. Wallau, Contractor
Frank Miller, Architect
Dedicated on April 7, 1890
Part of
MISSOURI STATE CAPITOL HISTORIC DISTRICT
Officially Listed in the
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES, JUNE18, 1976
St. Peter is the “Mother Church” for Roman Catholics of Jefferson City, and from it sprang other parishes in later years. The original little church was built on High Street in 1846. A parishioner, Mr. F. Roer, taught parochial classes in his home free of charge.
In 1854, St. Peter School was established with the construction of a small brick school near the church. Because of rapid growth of the city and the congregation, a larger church was built in 1857, and in 1882, an even larger one which is the present church. The old frame church was converted into a school to provide more classroom space. The parish would soon outgrow these buildings as well.
A three-story Convent School was completed in 1868 at the corner of Broadway and High Streets taught by four School Sisters of Notre Dame. In 1872, a boy’s school was constructed where the current school stands, but as enrollment grew rapidly, a larger facility was planned.
The original portion of the present school was erected in 1888-1890. The basement held six meeting rooms and a bowling alley. The first floor contained six classrooms. The entire second floor was known as St. Peter’s Hall, an auditorium with a large stage. Because it was the largest assembly hall in the area for many years, St. Peter’s Hall was the site of many historic events in Jefferson City and Missouri. One of these events caused St. Peter School to serve as the Ninth Missouri State Capitol.
For many years, Jefferson City struggled to remain the State Capital as other Central Missouri towns view to have the Seat of government moved to their communities. In February 1911, this controversy came to a head when the State Capitol Building was struck by lightning and burned.
The pastor of St. Peter Parish, Fr. Joseph Selinger, and the Parish Committee quickly offered use of the school to the Legislature at no charge. The offer was accepted, and for the remainder of the 46th General Assembly, the House of Representatives met in session in St. Peter’s Hall on the second floor of the school building and used classrooms for committee meetings. During this time, school classes were held in private homes. The Senate met in session in the Supreme Court Building. And so it happened that in 1911, William Jennings Bryan, noted American orator and political leader, addressed the Joint Legislative Assembly in St. Peter’s Hall.
A short time later, the Missouri State Legislature voted to keep the Seat of Government in Jefferson City, probably in large part because of the community’s rapid response to the crisis and their generosity and concern. A temporary State Capitol as hastily built on the Capitol grounds for use by the next Legislative Session. Thus ended the long controversy over whether Jefferson City would remain the Capital of Missouri. The temporary structure was razed after the new Capitol Building was completed and occupied in 1924.
St. Peter’s began a two-year Commercial High School in 1917, and in 1931, St. Peter High School opened wit a four-year program in a new addition to the school. Accreditation was through the University of Missouri.
After the Selinger Centre was constructed in 1937, the assembly hall on the second floor of the school that had been called St. Peter’s Hall was converted into a large library and two classrooms, and in more recent years a computer lab was added.
The post WWII population explosion caused extreme crowding in the school, and Catholic parishes in the area combined their efforts and resources into the construction of a new high school. When Helias Interparish High School was completed in 1956, St. Peter High School closed. This relieved the overcrowding of the elementary classes, and a kindergarten was added in the 1950’s. In the 1960’s, a special education program was begun known as the Vogelweid Learning Center.
In 2005, a large addition to the school was begun including several classrooms, a cafeteria, multipurpose facility/gymnasium, elevator, band room, art room and restrooms. This new addition should be completed and occupied in the fall of 2006.
This venerable old school was begun, maintained and prospered because of generous believers with deep faith and commitment to parochial education for children of the Jefferson City area. |