The Indiana Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology announced that Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College is to be the recipient of a $50,000 Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) grant which will help to rehabilitate and restore aspects of its iconic Conservatory of Music building.
“It is a beautiful structure, one designed to stand the test of time,” said Catherine Saunders ’98, associate vice president for advancement. “Its marble-lined halls, wrought iron and brass railings, magnificent limestone façade, plaster relief angels and leaded glass dome provide such rich character and are truly a marvel of architecture, transporting you through time and space to The Woods of a century ago.”
This beloved Woods structure opened in 1913, along with its sister structure, Anne Therese Guerin Hall, and is one of the first buildings erected to support the growing college. Its story includes hundreds of music and theater majors and choir students who found this building a home away from home.
One of the 66 contributing structures of the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Historic District, established in 2017, the Conservatory exemplifies the Classical roots of the Beaux-Arts style that is reflected throughout the College campus. SMWC buildings are an outstanding example of the work of Bohlen and Son, a prominent and prolific Indianapolis architectural firm for nearly a century. The central façade, grand foyer and auditorium are important features of this building that is patterned after the Gewandhaus opera hall, destroyed in the 1943 bombing of Leipzig.
“We often hear from first-time visitors how our historic buildings look like ones that you might find throughout Europe,” she added.
Saunders, who is heading up the capital campaign fundraising for this project, says the College will use the grant funds to repair and replace the limestone steps and sidewalls along the main entrance.
“The College has documentation that the original construction used Bedford limestone,” she explained. “Matching stone will be sought to replace any pieces which are too damaged to reuse or reset. And fortunately, we are close to the source as the original pieces were milled.”
Additionally, the grant will help fund the restoration of the original proscenium front wall, or the stage front. A removable stage extension will be built to accommodate large performances.
Other upgrades will include lighting in the auditorium entrance corridor, plaster repairs and painting in the main auditorium and along the main hallway to improve function, safety and appearance while halting deterioration in the centennial structure.
The total project cost for these restorations is expected to be around $125,000. And, as the grant requires a match, SMWC plans to fund the additional cost with gifts from private donors and some in-house work with respect to demolition and painting.
The project is funded in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Fund administered by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology.
Aspire Higher Campaign — Take A Seat Initiative
SMWC has been raising funds from alumni and friends since 2020 as part of an overarching $500,000 Take A Seat Initiative, which will help to fund the College’s match portion of the grant in addition to providing the following restoration and renovation updates: replace upholstery on historic auditorium seating, grind concrete floor surface to remove lips at row entrances throughout auditorium, install aisle lighting, create designated ADA seating areas and remodel restrooms to be ADA compliant.
So far, $394,880 has been committed toward the Conservatory.
“We have been fortunate to have some lead donors step up to help fund the project, and we are hopeful to complete the seat initiative this fall,” said Saunders.
Seats are available starting at $300 each or four for $1,000. Rows are available for naming at $2,500 and $5,000. Individuals interested in making gifts may find out more about this project as well as several other capital campaigns for Le Fer Hall, Guerin Hall and the Knoerle Center at the Aspire Higher Campaign website.
Once complete, the auditorium space will be renamed in memory of Sister Marie Brendan Harvey, SP, ’51, founder of the College’s Madrigal program in 1958, who taught and mentored generations of Woods alums and left a long legacy of music at the College including her recorded works.
About the Conservatory
Designed by the second generation of Bohlen and Son — an Indianapolis architectural firm with over 40 National Register listed properties to its credit — the Conservatory began construction in 1911 and was completed in 1913 to support music and theater education and serve as a performance venue. At its center is the 725-seat Cecilian Auditorium, surrounded by three floors of classrooms, practice rooms, instrument storage and faculty offices. The basement level holds theater storage, a WWI era bomb shelter and the original, still operating building ventilation system.
Today, the building is home to SMWC’s Music and Theater Departments, Music and Art Therapy graduate programs and the Terre Haute Community Band and Sinfonietta.
HPF funding will help to restore the building as part of Indiana’s legacy from the Bohlen firm and align it with Department of Interior Standards. The proposed rehabilitation is one of several phases to bring the building back to its full potential as a performance venue for the College and the community. The Conservatory is a hub for campus architectural tours and lectures, promoted by the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Historic District.