Saint John's Literary Institute
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Saint John's Catholic Prep (formerly known as St. John's Literary Institution) is a
private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
, Roman Catholic, coeducational,
college preparatory A college-preparatory school (usually shortened to preparatory school or prep school) is a type of secondary school. The term refers to public, private independent or parochial schools primarily designed to prepare students for higher education ...
high school in
Buckeystown, Maryland Buckeystown is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Frederick County, Maryland, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 1,019. Buckeystown Historic District and Buckingham House and Industrial School C ...
, located just southwest of Frederick City. At the time of its founding in 1829, it was located on Second Street in eastern downtown Frederick. Beginning in 1958 and for 45 years thereafter, the school was housed in the historic " Prospect Hall" mansion, (1787–1803), also just southwest of Frederick. St. John's was the first independent Roman Catholic school in the state of Maryland. It was also the first Roman Catholic secondary school in the state of Maryland.


Background

In 1756, a small Roman Catholic boys' school was opened in Frederick, Maryland, which provided a space for class and mass to be held. The population of Frederick was expanding, and in 1763 the first Roman Catholic Church (under the Archdiocese of Baltimore) St. John's Frederick-Town Church, was constructed by Father John Williams, the first priest and pastor in Frederick.Williams and McKinsey (1910).''History of Frederick County, Maryland, Volume 1'', p. 381,446-447,510-511. Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore. . This new structure would house classes for 66 years. In 1822, a
Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...
priest, Father John McElroy, (1782–1877), was appointed to the pastorate at "St. John's Frederick-Town Church" in Frederick. His first major action was to work with the religious order Sisters of Charity in nearby Emmitsburg, Maryland to help five sisters opening the "St. John's Female Benevolent and Frederick Free School" in Frederick, in January 1824. With the educational needs of Frederick's girls gradually being met, McElroy's next task was to found an educational institution for boys in the town. In 1822, subscriptions were being taken and construction of the boys school had begun on East Second Street (in the eastern section of downtown Frederick) by August 7, 1828. It was completed the following year, and opened in 1829 as "St. John's Literary Institution".Shea, John Gilmary. ''Memorial of the first century of Georgetown College, D.C.'', p 81. P.F. Collier, New York Occasionally known thereafter as "St. John's College", the school was an academic rival to Georgetown College, founded earlier in (1829) near Washington, D.C. by the first American Bishop
John Carroll John Carroll may refer to: People Academia and science *Sir John Carroll (astronomer) (1899–1974), British astronomer *John Alexander Carroll (died 2000), American history professor *John Bissell Carroll (1916–2003), American cognitive sci ...
, the Archbishop of Baltimore. After several years of running St. John's in Frederick, Fr. McElroy was transferred to Boston in 1847; there he would use the skills he acquired in Frederick to establish the nationally known
Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifie ...
, and its preparatory institution,
Boston College High School , motto_translation = ''So they may know You.'' , address = 150 Morrissey Boulevard , city = Boston , state = Massachusetts , zipcode = 02125 , country ...
along with the Church of the Immaculate Conception, all "
Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...
" institutions.O'Tool James (Summer 2007). ''"The old man, A life in the fray prepared John McElroy for the start-up of Boston College"'', "Boston College Magazine". The Jesuits left Frederick in 1903, and transferred control of the St. John's Literary Institution and the parish of St John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church to diocesan priests from
Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...
. In 1915, Father William Kane, the first diocesan pastor of St. John's the Evangelist of Frederick, arranged for the educationally focused women's religious order, the
School Sisters of Notre Dame School Sisters of Notre Dame is a worldwide religious institute of Roman Catholic sisters founded in Bavaria in 1833 and devoted to primary, secondary, and post-secondary education. Their life in mission centers on prayer, community life and mi ...
to help staff the school. He also combined classes from the girls' Visitation Academy and the boys from St. John's to create the first co-ed school under the name of St. John's L.I."History=St. John Regional Catholic School Website". '. Retrieved 2012-05-29. St. John's then began allowing girls to enroll for classes in 1925. With attendance expanding, the original school structure built on Second Street by founder Father John McElroy in 1828 was demolished and a new building was erected in its place in the eastern sections of downtown Frederick. In 1958, the School separated and the high school of grades 9 to 12 moved from the East Second Street location, which would continue to house what was to be called "St. John's Elementary School" to the newly purchased Prospect Hall, a large mansion constructed on old "Red Hill" southwest of town off of Jefferson Pike and the new Butterfly Lane, built 1787-1803 and most recently owned by a former
U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
(Congressman)
Joseph H. Himes Joseph Hendrix Himes (August 15, 1885 – September 9, 1960) was an American politician and one-term U.S. Representative from Ohio from 1921 to 1923. Life and career Born in New Oxford, Pennsylvania, Himes attended the public schools, Getty ...
, (also source for the renamed nearby road segment and postal address of Himes Avenue). An additional temporary building was constructed at the rear of the mansion providing additional classrooms, an auditorium and gymnasium. At about this time the school was colloquially renamed "St. John's at Prospect Hall"—a name which was used almost as often as its traditional name, St. John's Literary Institution."History=St. John the Evangelist Church Website". '. Retrieved 2012-07-25. The
School Sisters of Notre Dame School Sisters of Notre Dame is a worldwide religious institute of Roman Catholic sisters founded in Bavaria in 1833 and devoted to primary, secondary, and post-secondary education. Their life in mission centers on prayer, community life and mi ...
withdrew from staffing and leading St John's in 1972, and under the pressure and possibility of closure, a group of parents, alumni, faculty and parishioners pooled their energies and resources to recharter St. John's as the first independent Roman Catholic School in Maryland, with a Board of Trustees. During the early 21st century, the school's Physical Education Department and interscholastic athletics programs became known statewide for their athletic success, especially in basketball, winning several state titles and scoring high on the local newspapers' lists of top high school teams. By 2005, having outgrown the facilities at Prospect Hall, St. John's acquired 46 acres of land in nearby
Buckeystown, Maryland Buckeystown is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Frederick County, Maryland, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 1,019. Buckeystown Historic District and Buckingham House and Industrial School C ...
(further southwest of Frederick along the Buckeystown Pike), adjacent to the property of St. Thomas More Academy (Buckeystown, Maryland). Embarking upon its new goal of moving from the historic "Prospect Hall" mansion property, by whose name it had been known by for almost 45 years, the School began a "re-branding" campaign and changed its title to "Saint John's Catholic Prep". On Monday, December 5, 2011, Saint John's agreed to buy the former St. Thomas More Academy property in Buckeystown for an undisclosed amount. The property was assessed by the state
Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to i ...
on January 1, 2010, and was valued at $5,424,400.Ames, Blair. "St. John's Catholic Prep to buy school building", ''
The Frederick News Post ''The Frederick News-Post'' is the local newspaper of Frederick County, Maryland. In addition to discussing local news, the newspaper addresses international, national, and regional news. The paper publishes six days a week. History On October ...
'', Frederick, 8 December 2011.
With its holdings now encompassing the original St. Thomas More buildings, and with the construction of more classrooms and sports fields, Saint John's Catholic Prep moved from Prospect Hall to the Buckeystown campus in January 2013. Classes there officially began January 14, 2013, with the school ready to continue its 184-year-old tradition of academic excellence in western Maryland.


Academics

In addition to standard and honors high school level courses, Saint John's Catholic Prep also offers
Advanced Placement Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course ...
(AP) courses and dual-credit courses with Frederick Community College, both of which are taught at a college level. St. John's offers many AP classes in language, math, science, history, and even art."Program of Studies=Saint John's Catholic Prep Website".

'. Retrieved 2015-07-05.


Athletics

All boys' sports participate in the
Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association The Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (M.I.A.A.) is a boys' sports conference for private high schools generally located in the Baltimore metropolitan area but extending to various other regions, including the state's mostly rural Easter ...
(MIAA), while the girls' sports participate in the
Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland The Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland (IAAM) is an association of schools that organize the junior and varsity female athletic programs in the area in and around the Baltimore Metro area. It is headquartered in Pasadena, Maryland ...
(IAAM), both established in 1993 as the private schools' successors to the previous
Maryland Scholastic Association The Maryland Scholastic Association (MSA) was a high school sports league governing high school sports in the Baltimore metropolitan area. The MSA was established in 1919 and was initially led by Dr. Phillip H. Edwards, a former coach at and the ...
(M.S.A.), founded 1919, as a private-public schools league. The following sports are offered:


Notable alumni

*
Samuel Mudd Samuel Alexander Mudd Sr. (December 20, 1833 – January 10, 1883) was an American physician who was imprisoned for conspiring with John Wilkes Booth concerning the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Mudd worked as a doctor and tobacco fa ...
(1833 - 1883), an American physician imprisoned for alleged conspiracy providing aid to John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln. Dr. Mudd during his imprisonment at Fort Jefferson, Florida single-handedly created a method for treating the Yellow Fever epidemic at the fort in 1868. Due to his efforts, a petition was submitted and pardon was granted by President Andrew Johnson for his heroic lifesaving work. *
Bernard A. Maguire Bernard A. Maguire (February 11, 1818 – April 26, 1886) was an Irish-American Catholic priest and Jesuit who served twice as the president of Georgetown University. Born in Ireland, he emigrated to the United States at the age of six, and ...
(1818–1886), American Jesuit and president of Georgetown University *
Enoch Louis Lowe Enoch Louis Lowe (August 10, 1820August 23, 1892) was the 29th Governor of Maryland in the United States from 1851 to 1854. Early life He was the only child of Bradley Samuel Adams Lowe and Adelaide Bellumeau de la Vincendiere. He was born on A ...
(1820–1892), 29th Governor of Maryland, served 1851–1854. *
Winfield Scott Schley Winfield Scott Schley (9 October 1839 – 2 October 1911) was a rear admiral in the United States Navy and the hero of the Battle of Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish–American War. Biography Early life Born at "Richfields" (his father's far ...
(1839–1911), rear admiral in the United States Navy, participated in the Spanish–American War of 1898."Winfield Scott Schley," Encyclopedia.com website

Retrieved 2012-07-25.
* Nate James (basketball), Nate James, 2001 NCAA Basketball champion with the Duke Blue Devils. *
Nikki Teasley Nikki Teasley (born March 22, 1979) is a former basketball player in the WNBA. Born in Washington, D.C., she played college basketball at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In the 2002 WNBA Draft, Teasley was selected as the #5 o ...
(b. 1979), basketball player in the WNBA. *
Ego Ferguson Ego Ferguson (born September 22, 1991) is a former American football defensive tackle. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at LSU. He was also a member of the Green Bay Packer ...
, NFL player for the Chicago Bears. * Cheikh Yaya Dia, professional basketball player


See also

* National Catholic Educational Association


Notes and references


External links


Official School Website

School's Student Run Newspaper

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore
{{authority control High schools in Maryland Private high schools in Maryland Catholic secondary schools in Maryland Schools in Frederick County, Maryland Educational institutions established in 1829 1829 establishments in Maryland