 | The parish experienced a rapid growth in its early years because of
Irish immigrants and, in 1860, decided to build a parochial grade school. |
| Father Joseph Socta came to Our Saviour's Parish in 1866 and
immediately started some ambitious building projects. |
| He oversaw the construction of the large brick church on East State
Street, a building which stood from 1817, to 1977, a brick rectory, which
stood on the site of what is now the priests' apartments and a brick grade
school both on the East Court Street. |
| The rectory was later used for a seventh and eighth grade school
building before it was torn down in the 1970's. |
| The three story grade school, known as, St. Patrick's, stood just east
of what was known as MacMurray College's Little Theatre in recent years. |
| The Little Theatre was originally built when Father Timothy Hickey was
the church's pastor probably in the 1880's and was called Liberty Hall. |
| Liberty Hall served as an auditorium for parish events and later as
gym for Routt High School's basketball games. |
| Mention should also be made of the Dominican Sisters who first came to
Jacksonville in 1873 to staff the new St. Patrick's School and to
establish a mother house here for the Dominican order. |
| When they began teaching in the Fall of 1873, they had about 400
students ranging in age from 5 to 16 years. |
| St. Patrick's Liberty Hall and the seventh and eighth grade school
building all became obsolete with the construction of the present Our
Saviour Grade School building and Formaz Hall in 1936 and 1937. |
