Ste. Genevieve Academy

In December 1807, the inaugural meeting of the Trustees of the Louisiana Academy took place at the home of Joseph Pratte. By the following January, the Trustees had appointed a committee to prepare architectural plans for the construction of a 'suitable building'[2] and also make initial inquiries as to a possible building site. This committee consisted of Reverend James Maxwell, Joseph Pratte, and Judge Otho Shrader.

The trustees requested that the United States government provide them with suitable land for their proposed school. When Congress failed to act the Trustees decided to purchase four arpents of land near the town of Ste. Genevieve from John Price for the sum of $100. The property was then situated outside the northwest boundary of the town on a hilltop, which enjoys a panoramic view of Ste. Genevieve, the mighty Mississippi, and the surrounding countryside.

The land, which the Trustees acquired, was originally owned by Louis Champaigne. There was serious concern regarding the possibility of a clouded title. The Reverend James Maxwell resolved this issue by personally warranting the title against all claims except that of the United States government. Thus, by March 1808, the way was finally cleared for breaking ground.

It is very clear from the 'Journal of the Ste. Genevieve Academy' that Father Maxwell was the driving force behind the development of this school. It is also eminently clear that it was Father Maxwell who decided the setting and style of the Academy building. This cosmopolitan priest was born and reared in eighteenth century Ireland and educated at the famed Irish College of the University of Salamanca, in Spain. It should not surprise us that his Academy was constructed in the new Federal style and that it shows a decided influence from the Irish country houses of his day.

The Trustees meeting of March 1808 determined that funds thus far collected from the subscribers was not sufficient for the construction of a two-story stone house measuring 5o ft. long by 25 ft. wide. A plan was adopted to reduce the size of the initial construction to 31 ft. by 25 ft. and enlarge the building to 50 ft. by 25 ft. when more funds were available. The Treasurer was instructed by the Trustees to call upon each subscriber to pay one-half their pledged contribution immediately and the balance within three months. Unfortunately, the continued operation of this school would be threatened for years to come by collection difficulties.

Plans for the Academy and the use of stone in construction were unanimously approved by the Trustees in March 1808. The actual building site was selected by Reverend Maxwell, Timothy Phelps, and Vital St. Gemme Beauvais. Strong evidence suggest that the stone used in construction was salvaged on flatboats from the ruins of Fort de Chartres, which was also constructed of blue limestone and abandoned in 1772. Blue limestone was only available from the mine developed by the French army east of Fort de Chartres. This mine supplied the huge quantities of stone required for building of the stone fort in 1751.

After the great flood of 1785, Fort de Chartres lay in complete ruins. Mountains of free building materials were therefore available for the taking. Ox carts could easily carry the salvaged stone from the flatboats up Academy hill to the building site less than one-half mile from the levee.

At the May 1808 meeting of the Trustees, the Building Committee, chartered by Father Maxwell, reported that the plan to build only two-thirds of the building now and later complete the task was unwise. It was determined that: 'by adding a new wall to the one that was some time before build will in course shrink below the old work and thereby ruin the whole.'[3] As a result, the Trustees voted unanimously to 'carry up' the whole building but, 'only cover that part of the building that was designed to be completed at a future day.'[4]

Since dendrochronology dates all of the first floor joists to 1808,[5] it is assumed that two rooms of the Academy's second floor remained somewhat unfinished until the 'repairs' of 1818 and the reopening of the Academy by the French Christian Brothers.

The Louisiana Territorial Legislature, under President was the Reverend James Maxwell, unanimously approved the incorporation of a charter creating the Ste. Genevieve Academy on June 21, 1808. This institution was the first public institution of higher education created in the Louisiana Territory. Indeed, the Ste. Genevieve Academy is the first school incorporated by the United States west of the Mississippi.

The 'Act of Incorporation' was passed in the final year of President Thomas Jefferson's second term. It reflects many of Jefferson's ideals. However, financial restraints the premature death of the schools founder never allowed for their complete enactment.

On August 3, 1808, William Shannon, Trustee of the Academy, and builder by trade, signed a contract to build the Academy. It is important to note that William Shannon was also born reared in Ireland that in the early 19th century the builder was usually also the architect for the project. Thus, the architectural style of the Academy building was under the total control and influence of two Irishmen, Father Maxwell and Mr. Shannon.

The construction contract signed by William Shannon calls for: 'the whole of mason work on said Academy to be completely finished, in a workman like manner by the first day of December next'.[6]

The Trustees agreed to pay $900 to William Shannon for the masonry work. This amount reflected the cost of labor only, for the Trustees supplied all of the materials. One-half of Mr. Shannon's payment was to be in cash and the balance in lead at the current rate of exchange. Shannon was to receive one-half of the payment two months after work commences and the remaining balance upon completion of the project.

In December 1808, the Academy Board of Trustees authorized the Board's collector to receive lead from subscribers in lieu of cash at the rate of $5 per one hundred pounds, if the lead was paid to the collector within ten days. Clearly, cash and lead were needed to pay William Shannon his fee for the construction of the Academy. However, as will be seen, another eighteen months will pass before sufficient funds are available to pay Mr. Shannon for the remainder of his fee.

Several months later, a smallpox epidemic swept through Ste. Genevieve. It was believed that the disease was brought in town from infected persons on flatboats traveling the Mississippi and docking in town. By 1802, smallpox vaccination was available in Ste. Genevieve. Very few people took advantage and were vaccinated. As a result, the disease ravaged the town and delayed any possible opening of the Academy. Nevertheless, on August 30, 1809 the Trustees authorized the collector of the Town of Ste. Genevieve to file suit against subscribers who had not made full payment in 'money, lead, or produce.'[7]

There is evidence that the Reverend James Maxwell completed work on the Academy not approved by the Board of Trustees and personally guaranteed payment. On March 1, 1810, the Trustees heard the auditor's reports and found that the accounts of the Building Committee, chaired by Father Maxwell, were in a shambles. Reverend Maxwell had ordered finishing work on the Academy that had not been approved by the Board and had given his personal guarantee for payment. This was against the bylaws of the Board of Trustees and it was adopted that from that moment forward a strict enforcement of financial procedures would be observed. However, it is doubtful that Father Maxwell paid any heed to this directive. The Board's only recourse was to collect past due subscriber accounts. George Bullett, a Trustee, was appointed to collect accounts in the lead mining districts, and Elias Austin Elliott was appointed to complete a similar task in St. Louis.

Mr. Daniel Barry Esq. was approved by the Trustees to preside as teacher of the Ste. Genevieve Academy on April 24, 1810. Mr. Barry agreed to: 'undertake to teach English, French, Latin, Greek, Mathematics, Arithmetic, Surveying, Logic, Metaphysics, Geography, History, Natural and Moral Philosophy, agreeably to a prospectus already exhibited; for the sum of 1,100 dollars for the first year ye will superintend the education of 45 students.'[8]

It appears that Mr. Daniel Barry left after one year because on March 20, 1811 the Board of Trustees examined the qualifications of a Mr. Curtis as teacher for the Ste. Genevieve Academy. The Board of Trustees found nothing against Mr. Curtis' character, but felt he was not qualified to teach the different branches of education demanded by the Trustees.

At their March 20, 1811 meeting the Trustees also examined William Shannon's claim again them for past due payments for the completion of the Academy building. The Board of Trustees agreed to reimburse Mr. Shannon for 'all the monies he has expanded in completing the building'.[9] The Building Committee determined the total amount due Mr. Shannon was $151.82. At this point, Mr. Shannon was paid in full for construction of the Academy. However, as will be seen, many outstanding debts still remain unpaid to other creditors.

Shortly before this 'Sheriff's Sale', Father Louis DuBourg was appointed the first Bishop of the Louisiana Territory and the Floridas by Archbishop Carroll of Baltimore, August 18, 1814. Father DuBourg traveled to Rome in 1815 where he was consecrated Bishop of Louisiana and the Floridas. The opening of schools in his frontier diocese was a primary concern, which necessitated the recruitment of teachers. Thus, we find Bishop DuBourg and his entourage, engaged in an eighteen-month extended tour of France and Belgium. Their quest was for members of religious orders willing to volunteer for service in Bishop DuBourg's mission parishes and schools of the Louisiana Territory.

DuBourg made an initial request to the Superior General of the Christian Brothers; Brother Gerbaud initially refused the request. The French Revolution of 1789 had resulted in the disbursement of this order and the execution of many of its members. The Bourbon restoration had only been in place for three years at the time of this request and the Christian Brothers Institute in France had only just begun a slow recovery.

However, Bishop DuBourg was not a man to take no for an answer. He asked for, and received the assistance of the Vatican Curia and the Pope. Pius VII immediately sent a request to the Superior General of the Christian Brothers on behalf of Bishop DuBourg: 'Our Venerable Brother William DuBourg recently consecrated here and named Bishop of New Orleans, ardently desires to bring with him some of your Brothers to instruct the youth of his vast diocese. We earnestly recommend this matter to you, and We desire that if you have some subjects who are willing to go there and whom you judge proper for this pious work, that you should send them if it can be done. This will be most agreeable to God and to Us.'[11]

It is not surprising that Brother Gerbaud relented and on April 20, 1816 composed a letter agreeing to give Bishop DuBourg the brothers requested.

Louis XVIII, King of France, gave Bishop DuBourg and his entire entourage free passage to America. The group consisted of 5 priests, 2 sub deacons, 9 clerics, 3 Christian Brothers, 4 seminarians, and 4 workmen or mechanics. They departed from Bordeaux, July 1, 1817, on board La Caravane, a frigate of the French Royal Navy, and landed in Annapolis, Maryland two months later on September 4.

Bishop DuBourg had petitioned the Pope to allow him to establish his residence in St. Louis due to the 'distressing conditions' and general riotous circumstances in New Orleans. He therefore, traveled first to Baltimore, and then on to Pittsburg, Louisville, and finally to Bardstown, Kentucky where the three Christian Brothers remained to learn English and assist with the construction of a new seminary. Bishop DuBourg then traveled on to Ste. Genevieve and finally to his cathedral city of St. Louis.

March 6, 1849 the Missouri Legislature created an act to incorporate the Trustees of the Ste. Genevieve Academy. It is known that General Firmin A. Rozier, who had recently received his inheritance from his father, was actively pursuing the reopening of the Old Academy. General Rozier had also just completed the building of the Plank Road from Ironton to the Ste. Genevieve Levee. This wooden causeway enabled ox carts to travel easily across country from Ironton with their immensely heavy cargos of lead bound for the Port of Ste. Genevieve.

'The General' was obviously interested in personally acquiring the Old Academy and starting a school of his own design. On February 17, 1853, we find yet another act from the Missouri Legislature. This act repeals the Act of Incorporation of 1849. The only difference between the two acts is that the 1853 act clearly defines how the Trustees must compose a deed of conveyance for the sale of real estate. Thus, the passing of this act cleared the path for General Firmin A. Rozier to acquire the Old Academy as his personal property.

The Trustees, on March 30, 1853, conveyed the deed to the Old Academy to General Firmin A. Rozier in exchange for his pledge to maintain a school on the premises for ten years and to admit, free of charge, fifty poor children for one year each, over a three-year period.[16]

Two days later on April 2, 1853 Rozier signed a construction contract to add a 50 ft. by 25 ft. two-story brick addition to the Old Academy. The contract was given to John Troll, Joseph Jokurst, and Charles Jokurst. It called for the entire work to be completed by September 1, 1853 for a sum of $1,025.[17]

The Circuit Court of Ste. Genevieve County ruled on November 23, 1853, that the Trustees of the Ste. Genevieve Academy had the right to sell the Academy and its grounds to Firmin A. Rozier.[18] Obviously, General Rozier wasn't taking any chances and wanted to eliminate any possibility of a challenge to the legality of his acquisition of the Old Academy.

A list of the 1854 roster of children at the Ste. Genevieve Academy reads like the social register of St. Louis and Ste. Genevieve. Even the children of Pierre Chouteau attended this school.[19] This notable absence of poor children and 'well behaved' Indians explains Rozier's next action.

On January 18, 1856, a Deed of Conveyance was recorded between the Trustees of the Ste. Genevieve Academy as grantors, and Firmin A. Rozier. General Rozier paid $400 to the Directors of the Public Schools for the benefit of public school children.[20] This released General Rozier from the obligation to educate 50 poor children free of charge for one year. General Firmin A. Rozier then received from the Trustees 'fee simple absolute title' to the Old Academy, its improvements, and surrounding 4 acres.

The Ste. Genevieve Academy, directed by General Firmin Rozier was by far the most successful of the three attempts to establish a lasting institution of higher learning on Academy Hill.

General Rozier's meticulous records and balance sheets show an institution with a minimum of 50 students. Well over one-half of these students boarded at an annual cost for tuition and board of between $175 to $200. This figure represented the average annual income of a laborer, which explains why the student body consisted entirely of the sons of socially prominent families.