The Stories Behind the Buildings on the College of St. Benedict Campus

The Benedictine sisters came to St. Joseph in 1863. The oldest and largest building on the St. Benedict campus is the Main Building.  It consists of 5 parts which includes St. Cecelia Hall, which is the oldest part of the main building constructed by the sisters.  The next part of the building constructed was St. Benedict Hall followed by St. Scholastica Hall, St. Gertrude Hall and then Teresa Hall.  St. Gertrude Hall is identifiable for its turret.  Teresa Hall was added when the College of St. Benedict opened as a women's college in 1913 as a gathering location for students.

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To help tell the story of St. Ben's buildings I was joined by CSB/SJU archivist Peggy Roske.  Roske says many of the early buildings were named after sisters or deities but in recent years many buildings are named after donors.  The Main building used to house everything in the early years, according to Roske, but that changed as the campus grew.  Mary Hall Commons and Aurora Hall opened in 1956 followed by Regina Hall in 1963 and Corona Hall in 1969.

The Benedicta Arts Center opened in 1964, which is named after Mother Benedicta Riepp.  The BAC holds the Art, Music, Theater, and Dance Departments. The West Apartments were built in 1971-1972 and were named after formers sisters and teachers.  In 1973 former high school buildings were put to use and renamed Henrita Hall and Richarda Hall.  The swimming pool opened in 1973.  The Student Campus Center/Academic Services Building opened in 1974 along with the east apartments.  Other notable buildings include Evin Hall which opened in 1981 for Sister Evin Rademacher, who was a Prioress.

St. Ben's added Claire Lynch Hall in 1985 within in the Haehn Campus Center.  The gym was named for sister Claire Lynch who Roske says wasn't really into athletics but the school wanted to name a facility after her.  She was an Academic Dean.

Other building notes from Peggy Roske:
Clemens Library 1986 (William and Virginia Clemens)
Margretta Hall 1988 (S. Margretta Nathe taught German and established Study Abroad there)
Ardolf Science Center 1992 (for Frank & Lottie Ardolf)Lottie (Ardolf) Hall 1994 (for Frank & Lottie Ardolf)
Haehn Campus Center 1995 [also the Monastery’s Haehn Museum]
Murray Hall 1995 gym remodeled & renamed for Sr. Mary Patrick Murray, Dean of Students
Brian Hall 1996 S. Brian Spain (FR & Student Development)
New Book Store 1998-1999 & Grace Donovan Center for Student Development (she was its VP)
Renner House 2005 S. Emmanuel Renner (History, CSB President, and Archivist)
BAC’s Colman Theater 2006 S. Colman O’Connell (CSB President & Development VP)
BAC’s Escher Auditorium named in 2009 in place of Petters; S. Firmin Escher (Music; BAC planning)
Gorecki Dining Center 2007
Centennial Townhomes 2012 includes Idzerda Commons (Stan was CSB President 1968-74) and:

S. Cecelia Kapsner (as Prioress in 1913, she was CSB’s first president)
S. Mary David Olheiser (CSB’s 1st Academic Affairs VP)
S. Mary Anthony Wagner (Theology; started BIST/SOT)
S. Lois Wedl (Education, Athletics booster extraordinaire)

College Avenue Athletic Fields 2017; part named for S. Lois Wedl in September 2021.

Schoenecker Commons 2018

If you'd like to listen to my conversation with Peggy Roske, it is available below.  If you'd like to learn more about College of St. Benedict buildings.