Loretto Hall

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Construction of Sacred Heart Chapel with Loretto Hall in background, 1912 (far left), Loretto Hall in 1963 (left), Demolition of Loretto Hall in 1981 (right & far right)

(click thumbnails for larger image)

Loretto Hall was originally constructed in 1889 to serve as the Convent’s laundry building. For a time, until 1952, the Power House also was located in Loretto Hall’s basement. In 1960, the college moved its art and mathematics departments into the first floor and basement level of the building. Later on in the mid-1960s, Loretto Hall was also home to the education department and textbook store, as well as office and classroom space. 

When faced with the dilemma of limited student housing due to an increase in enrollment, the college opened the second and third floors of Loretto Hall as dorm space in 1968, keeping the education department and textbook store on the lower levels. The thirty first-year students living in Loretto then moved into Corona Hall the following year for renovation of the dorms. It re-opened for student housing in 1977, and was able to accommodate 42 students. In 1979, renovations were done to convert the first floor into student housing for incoming first-year students. 

In 1980, plans were approved to construct a new apartment style dormitory, and in the fall of 1981, Loretto Hall was returned to the Convent and was demolished to create space for renovation of Sacred Heart Chapel, resulting in the construction of the Gathering Space.

Bibliography:

“CSB Revamps Physical Plant — Even Some Humps,” The Benet, October 1960, page 2.
Welle, Karen. “It Can’t Happen Here,” The Torch, 4 March 1966, page 4.
College of Saint Benedict’s Catalog, 1966-68, page 11.
Cyrus, Kathy. “Poverty Pocket: Loretto Ritz,” The Torch, 24 September 1968, page 7.
Cyrus, Kathy. “Shower Power At Last,” The Torch, 12 November 1968, page 6.
Ford, Annie. “Ghetto Girls Prefer Loretto To Urban Renewal,” The Torch, 14 October 1969, page 4. 
“Housing Expands at CSB,”  Grapevine, 1977, page 4.
Filzen, Jane. “Campus Survives Renovation,” The Cable, 2 October 1979, page 1.
“Trustees Approve Two Building Projects,” Saint Benedict’s Today, May 1980, page 5.
“New Apartments,” Saint Benedict’s Today, May 1981, page 3.
Saint Benedict’s Today, Holiday Issue, December 1981, page 5.