Bethlehem Academy
Bardstown, Nelson County, Kentucky
Marker Inscription
Bethlehem Academy. Began 1819, when Bishop Flaget asked the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth to open elementary school in Bardstown area. Sisters Harriet Gardiner, Polly Beaven, and Nancy Lynch started school which Father David named Bethlehem. Served as elementary and high school for girls; moved to present site from 5th St., 1959. Became coed, 1970. Presented by Bethlehem High School.
Erected by Kentucky Historical Society
The Story
Bethlehem Academy grew from an 1819 request by Bishop Flaget that the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth open an elementary school near Bardstown. Sisters Harriet Gardiner, Polly Beaven, and Nancy Lynch launched the school, which Father David named Bethlehem, and it served for generations as an elementary and high school for girls before relocating to its present site in 1959 and becoming coeducational in 1970.
Why it matters
The academy reflects the central role Catholic religious orders—and women religious in particular—played in building education in early Kentucky, especially schooling for girls.
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Related people
- · Bishop Flaget
- · Harriet Gardiner
- · Polly Beaven
- · Nancy Lynch
Themes & tags
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