Monday, December 31, 2007

St. Xavier's School 29th and Wabash


Here is St. Xavier Academy from 1872, a Gem on the near south side run by the Sisters of Mercy since 1846. This photo from 1946, probably a bit past the heyday for the school, which thrived in the early 1900's.

St. Xavier Academy became St. Xavier University on the Southwest Side. Hales Franciscan sits on the current campus (check that!), in a modern simple building.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

JBP,

Hales Franciscan is on Cottage Grove around 47th St. I can't picture what's currently at 29th and Wabash.

-MJM

JBP said...

Good point MJ,

But...did a bit of checking..Isn't St. James at 29th and Wabash..which was the home of St. Xavier for a while, then it moved to 49th and Cottage Grove (per Mother McCauley website)?

So 49th and Cottage Grove = 4930 Cottage Grove, which is the address of Hales.

The 29th and Wabash address was on the photo from the Cushman Archive at IU, which is probably incorrect. In the JT Farrell books, set in the early 1900's (definitely before this photo in 1946) Xavier is located around the 49th Street Neighborhood.

JBP

JBP said...

As an aside, isn't there anyone from outside of DeWitt County that knows their way around Chicago?

JBP