Historic Buildings on the Campus of the College of St. Benedict

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Photos of the Main Building

Note:  St. Gertrude and St. Teresa Halls are collectively and commonly referred to as “the Main Building,” although since its renovation, Teresa Hall is more frequently referred to as Teresa and the Main refers more accurately to locations within Gertrude.  The designation of “St.” is also frequently dropped.

1.  Main Building (St. Gertrude Hall) – south side, 2005

1. Saint Gertrude Hall 2005 Main Building

Below:  Main Building (Saint Gertrude Hall) 2005

2.  Left photo – east end, facing SW;   3 & 4. Center and right photos – south side, facing northeast

Note: the exit/staircase in the center of the middle photo was replaced later (1988-89?) by the one in the right photo.  Part of the new staircase is visible in the right photo in the row below these.

2. East end, facing SW3. south side, facing northeast   4. south side, facing northeast

Below:

5. Left photo:  St. Cecilia Hall in foreground, connecting to St. Gertrude Hall; east side, looking south

6.  Right photo (1991):  Southeast-facing “knuckle,” or connection between St. Gertrude Hall on the right and St. Teresa Hall on the left.  The new main entrance is shown;  the spaces now graced with semicircular windows were originally open porches on this side of the building.

5. St. Cecilia Hall in foreground  6. Southeast-facing "knuckle 

7.  Below Left:  Foreground: New entrance.  Background: St. Teresa Hall, southeast-facing side, ca. 1991.

8.  Below Right:  Teresa Hall, first floor, interior, renovated in 1988-89.

7. New entrance.  8. Teresa Hall, first floor, interior

9.  Below: St. Teresa Hall, 1987, southwest side.  This spiral staircase fire escape was removed when Teresa Hall was renovated in 1988-89 and replaced with an interior walled-in one that was attached to the left (NW) face of the building.  It is visible in photo 11, and a bit of it can be seen on the left edge of photo 12.

  9. St. Teresa Hall, 1987, southwest side

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Saint Benedict’s Convent and College campus map: https://www.csbsju.edu/about/csb-campus-map.

Other historical photos of St. Ben’s are available on the websites of Vivarium and Minnesota Digital Libraries.

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Additional photos, all taken Feb. 26, 2007 by Peggy L. Roske:

10. Saint Benedict's Convent   11. Saint Benedict's Convent

 12. Saint Benedict's Convent   13. Saint Benedict's Convent

10-13  Teresa Hall, progressing around it from the NW to the SE side

14. walkway along Teresa Hall, with St. Gertrude Hall in distance    15. St. Gertrude Hall, SE side

14 walkway along Teresa Hall, with St. Gertrude Hall in distance

15 St. Gertrude Hall, SE side

16. The Fishpond, with Mary Commons in the distance.   17. The Fishpond, looking SE

16 The Fishpond, with Mary Commons in the distance.  If you take the sidewalk (not visible in the photo) that veers left (south) just past the pine tree on the left, you see the Grotto in the distance.

17 The Fishpond, looking SE, with the St. Joseph Parish cemetery in the distance past the hedge

18. The Grotto   19. The Grotto

18-19 The Grotto, at the end of the walkway that leads south from the Fishpond

20. Markers of deceased sisters in the St. Ben's Monastery cemetery    21. Markers of deceased sisters in the St. Ben's Monastery cemetery

20 Markers of deceased sisters in the St. Ben’s Monastery cemetery

21 Markers of lay people buried in the NW corner of the St. Ben’s Monastery cemetery

22. St. Joseph Parish cemetery    23. NW end of the St. Joseph Parish cemetery   

22 St. Joseph Parish cemetery, with the Sacred Heart Chapel, St. Teresa Hall, and St. Gertrude Hall in the distance

23 NW end of the St. Joseph Parish cemetery.  St. Joseph’s J. F. Kennedy elementary school can be seen in the distance.

 24. St. Benedict Hall   25. St. Benedict Hall

24 and 25 St. Benedict Hall, built perpendicular to St. Cecilia Hall and St. Scholastica Hall (which are adjacent to each other).  St. Benedict Hall extended to the west, and later the Sacred Heart Chapel was built onto its west end.  25 was taken facing NE and shows its south and west sides; 26 was taken facing SE and shows its north and west sides.

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Prepared 2/26/2007 for the CIC Historic Campus Architecture Project. Updated 3/6/2007.