In 1846 Rev. Jerome C. Berryman built a Methodist High School he called the Arcadia College. He sold the property 1858 and the school closed in 1861. It served a a Union hospital during the Civil War from 1861-1863 when the property reverted back to Rev. Berryman.
Berryman trid to restart the school, but it was never successful and went through several owners until Arcadia College finally closed in 1877 when it was purchased by the Order of the Ursulines for Ursuline Academy which operated as a school for girls until 1971.
There were two, largely uninhabitable, buildings when Mother Johanna to purchased the buildings and the grounds at the behest of the church and, particularly, Father Hennessy of Iron Mountain. The nuns set right to work building their academy and built five new buildings over the years including the beautiful St. Joseph’s Chapel was built in 1907, and a Gymnasium in 1930.
The Arcadia College / Ursuline Academy property preserves a school that predates all of the surrounding towns as well as most of the homes and churches. This school was built when Arcadia Valley really was a pristine Arcadian wilderness in the full sense of the word.
It is a tie to a past when education in this country was about who you would become more than what you would become and you were expected to learn how to think more than what to think.
The complex is listed in the National Registrar of historic places, not as a historic building, but as a historic district.
From the National Register of Historic Places Listing Form
The Ursuline Academy of Arcadia occupies a level area near the intersection of Main and Maple Streets in Arcadia, Iron County, Missouri . The grounds feature mature trees, stone retaining walls, and a number of small ornamental structures and fences, also of stone. There are approximately 25 acres of land within the district boundaries, as well as 9 contributing buildings, 4 contributing structures, and one contributing object. Construction dates range from 1888 to 1930.
Five of the buildings are 1 inked to create a large U-shaped complex. The "U" is anchored on one end by a large brick chapel, which was built in 1909. There is a three story, T-shaped administration building next to it which dates to 1918. The four story classroom and dining hall south of the administration building was built in 1914. A three story building west of the dining hall was constructed in 1922 for the use of the nuns who operated the Academy. A large two story residence west of the sisters' building served as the priests' house for most of its history; it was built ca. 1902.
Freestanding buildings include a three story brick laundry building south of the "U" and a one story frame carriage shed west of the laundry. The laundry was erected in 1889, and the carriage shed dates to 1907. The newest contributing building in the district is the gymnasium, which sits just northwest of the chapel; it was built in 1930. The smallest building is a granite springhouse, which was built west of the "U" in 1910. (See Figure One, Site Plan.) Contributing structures include a stone grotto, a stone bridge and island in a man-made lake near the spring house, and stone gateposts at both entrances. A large stone bench and planter near the administration building is a contributing object. A small brick poultry building in the south end of the property which dates to 1951 is the only non-contributing resource of any kind. None of the resources in the district have seen any significant alterations in the last 50 years, and the campus in general exhibits a very high level of integrity of design, materials, setting, association and craftsmanship.
You can read the full document descriobing this beautiful treasure of Missouri Frontier history in the National Register document here.
Currently the campus is privately owned by two different families, and the Ursiline cemetery is still owned by the convent.
Tours of the facility are available and special group tours can be arranged, the Chapel is not in service by the church, but is available for weddings and the theater which seats 250 sees frequent use as well.
*** Cache with Confidence | As with all Team AZMO caches, this cache was placed with the permission of the property owner ***