Site of Saint Francis Xavier Academy
Denison, Grayson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Founded in 1876 by the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur, Belgium, in association with St. Patrick's Catholic Church, St. Francis Xavier Academy was the first of six Texas schools organized by the Sisters. After purchasing a house, Sisters Augustine, Adelphine, Anne, and Benedictine opened their doors to 46 day students and 8 boarders, all girls, from Texas and the Indian Territory for the study of the arts, sciences, and classics. A 1901 Gothic brick edifice became the main structure of St. Francis Xavier. The academy consolidated with the St. Patrick's School and became coeducation in 1924. St. Francis Xavier closed in 1968, and the academy buildings were razed in 1971. (1998)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1876 the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur, Belgium, opened St. Francis Xavier Academy in Denison—the first of six Texas schools they would found. Sisters Augustine, Adelphine, Anne, and Benedictine welcomed 46 day students and 8 boarders, all girls from Texas and the Indian Territory, to study arts, sciences, and classics. A Gothic brick building rose in 1901; the school went coeducational in 1924 and closed in 1968.
Why it matters
The academy shows how immigrant Catholic sisters brought organized education for girls to the raw frontier, planting schools where public systems had yet to reach.
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Related people
- · Sisters of St. Mary of Namur
Themes & tags
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