St. Mary's Episcopal School history

The Saint Mary’s Chapel, designed by Richard Upjohn and built in 1856, is a National Historic Site, and five of the school’s 25 buildings are Raleigh Historic Properties.

The school, founded at Calvary Episcopal Church, changed locations many times, including to Hernando, Mississippi in 1862 until the end of the Civil War.

In 1865, nine-month-old Mary Mitchell Allen of Tuckahoe Plantation died, and in an effort to aid those in their local community, her parents, Richard and Virginia Allen, decided to raise funds to build a church in her memory.

Saint Mary’s Catholic School first opened her doors on September 24, 1900, and was originally called Sacred Heart Academy - a title chosen because the full name of the parish is Our Lady of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

John George Sadtler, who, in 1924, became rector of Langley Parish and its parish church, St John’s, McLean.

The first divine service was held at the school on February 4, 1926.

The first service in the new church was held on Passion Sunday in 1927.

In 1930 the present elementary building - now called Mercy Hall - was constructed, and our name was changed to Saint Mary’s Catholic School.

Under his supervision, the Parish Hall (now the Parish Office) was constructed in 1932 using funds raised from Richmond businessmen.

John George Sadtler retired on September 15, 1935, largely because of the church’s financial situation.

Peyton R. Williams accepted the joint rectorship of St John’s and St Mary’s Churches and was welcomed to St Mary’s on September 6, 1936.

The congregation moved from mission to parish status in 1941.

George F. Tittmann began his rectorship at St Mary’s Church on April 19, 1942, helping to usher in peak years for St Mary’s.

The first major enlargement of the church building was completed in 1952.

In 1953, she moved St Mary's to its current location at the intersection of Perkins and Walnut Grove in Memphis.

In 1954, the church was insulated, three new Sunday School rooms were built, and a well was drilled.

John Bartel Reinheimer was instituted as rector of St Mary’s by the Bishop of Virginia at a special service on January 13, 1957.

Holt Souder was called to be St Mary’s first full-time Rector in 1962, when St Mary’s membership totaled 100.

Starting a day school became the focus of a second round of dissent at St Mary’s, beginning in 1964.

In April 1968, an agreement was worked out between the rector and the vestry for the separation and dissolution of pastoral relations.

Paul A. Bankston accepted the challenge of guiding St Mary’s, and the church’s small congregation greeted him in February 1969.

Until the 1970’s Saint Mary’s School encompassed grades one through nine, but when junior highs were being replaced by middle schools, our ninth grade was eliminated and a 5-year-old kindergarten was added.

His rectorship started out auspiciously, but then, sadly, he became terminally ill and died on August 24, 1971.

1972 St Mary's School was formed by Mrs.

With the growing congregation came new youth, and Holt hired John Miller as Youth Minister in 1977.

1983 The church added an education wing to the existing church building.

Andrew T. P. Merrow accepted the call to serve St Mary’s as permanent rector effective March 5, 1985.

In the fall of 1989, St Mary's welcomed it's first, first-grade class.

1990 Susan Radke retires as the director of St Mary's School and is replaced by Nancy Hetherington.

By 1991 he had nearly doubled the number of members and communicants, and for the first time in recent history St Mary’s was operating in the black.

New St Mary’s was completed in 1992.

1993 St Mary's becomes accredited by the Southwest Association of Episcopal Schools.

The generous bequest of John and Olive Paca began a capital campaign completed in 1996 to renovate and build to accommodate St Mary’s growth and new ministries.

1997 The school moved into a new two-story education building adjacent to St Mary's church.

2001 St Mary's School Board of Directors purchased a 51-acre tract of land on Covell.

2003 Construction begins on our current facility at 505 E. Covell Rd.

2004 Phase 1 of the new building opened, housing third through fifth-grade students and administrative personnel

In 2009 Saint Mary’s Catholic School was named a National Blue Ribbon School by the United States Department of Education.

2013 Nancy Hetherington retires, and Pamela Dockter joined St Mary's as Head of School, as only the third Head in the School's History.

The school continued to have a diverse student body; in 2014, minorities represent a fifth of the student body.

When Miller retired in 2015, St Mary’s had grown and changed significantly.

In 2017 Saint Mary’s renewed its accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

Saint Mary's received this prestigious honor a second time on September 24, 2020 on the 120th anniversary of the founding of the school.

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