Saint Mary's Hall history

Under the leadership of Bishop Elliott, Saint Mary's Hall was re-established and opened in 1879 with Miss Philippa Stevenson as its first headmistress.

A new building at St Mary’s Hall - costing $50,000 - opened in October of 1912.

Sister Liz Hepburn was the last in a line of erudite and dedicated Loreto sisters who had run the college since its opening in 1918.

In 1922, St Mary’s Hall purchased a large house on property adjacent to the school.

In 1923 a further property “Les Buissonnet’s was acquired increasing the accommodation to sixty students.

During the depression many private schools failed, but St Mary’s Hall was helped by its ability to attract more day students, enhanced by the completion of the Burlington-Bristol Bridge in 1931.

Back at the University of Dayton, coeducation was introduced in 1935 to help boost enrollment during the Great Depression, and two years later enrollment reached 1,000.

St Mary’s Hall celebrated its one-hundredth anniversary with a week-long program in May of 1937.

The founding principal was Mother Patrick Callinan who continued in that office until 1943.

To raise money for the school, an annual horse show and fair was begun in May of 1957.

In 1963 Archbishop Mannix, after much persuasion from Mother Francis Frewin, approved the establishment of an independent Catholic College for women.

In 1965 the Board of Trustees decided to establish a separate boys’ school, to be named Doane Academy.

In 1966, it opened with William M/ Williams as its headmaster - and a new field house.

In 1969, the North Wing and library were added.

The west wing opened in 1973 and the first male tutors were in residence.

On February 27th, 1974 fire ravaged the historic main building on St Mary’s Hall’s campus - Doane Hall.

The drama department also flourished and, in the early 1980’s, Doane’s Dungeon, a haunted house with a classic literary twist, began.

In 1991, Headmaster Christopher Hartley introduced the interim period (a precursor to the current Rocks, Roots, and Wings program) and boosted the academic credentials by introducing Advanced Placement courses.

In 1993, St Mary’s celebrated 75 years of foundation, approximately 27 of those years being on the Swanston Street site.

He oversaw architectural repairs to the chapel, in advance of the 150th anniversary of its consecration in 1997.

On Wednesday, July 28, 1999 the Burlington County Times headline read, ‘St Mary’s Closes’. The next day it read, ‘Future of St Mary’s Site Uncertain’. Years of precarious finances and a near non-existent endowment created an untenable financial situation.

The great progress made in the early 2000’s resulted in still loftier goals coming to the forefront, and all began to be noticed by philanthropist groups like the Susquehanna Foundation and the Rowan Family Foundation.

In 2008, the Board of trustees voted to simplify the school’s name and honor its founder by changing the school’s legal name to ‘Doane Academy’.

During Sr Elizabeth’s time, the inaugural Francis Frewin Cocktail party was held in 2011, and this now takes place each year.

Sister Liz retired at the end of 2013, marking the end of the 96 years of Loreto administration of the College.

Having assisting Sr Liz as her Deputy for three years, Dr Paul Gallagher became Acting Principal for one year before the appointment of Dr Darcy McCormack in January 2015 as the first lay Principal of St Mary’s College to continue the work of the Loreto Sisters.

St Mary’s College Jubilee celebrating 50 years on Swanston Street and 96 years of Loreto leadership, was held over the weekend of 12th and 13th March 2016.

The first public lecture was presented by Professor Anne Steinemann, in the Frewin room on 17 March 2018.