New life for
Arcadia Academy
Arcadia
by Jeff
Joiner
It’s
not uncommon for people traveling up and down Highway 21 in Iron County
to do a double take and pull in and take a closer look at the imposing
Arcadia Academy, a one-time Catholic girl’s school which attracted
students from all over the world to the Missouri Ozarks.
The
original academy was opened in 1846 as a Methodist school and later
served as a military hospital for Union troops during the Civil War.
In 1877 Catholic nuns with the Ursaline Order bought the academy and
operated it as school until 1970. It remained a convent for nuns until
1985.
The
large cemetery on this month’s cover contains the graves of many
of the Ursaline sisters who lived and taught at the academy. The large
grounds of the academy, including several buildings, are listed as a
historic district by the National Register of Historic Places.
Today,
the academy, owned by Brenda and LaMar Oyler, is home to a restaurant
called Thee Abbey Kitchen, a gift shop, an antique mall with 51 dealers
and the five-room Arcadia Academy Bed and Breakfast Inn. The academy
chapel, which still contains its original stained glass windows, is
available for weddings while reception facilities and catering can be
done by the academy staff.
The
Arcadia Academy is located on 128 South College St., just off Highway
21, in Arcadia. For more information call (573) 546-4249.