Expansion of Monastery (1880-1909). This aerial view of St. Benedict's Convent/Academy campus (1909) shows the extent of the 40-year growth of the Benedictine community and its academy from the 1863 church/convent/school complex to this impressive campus. About five years after this photograph was taken, the addition of the spacious, copper-domed chapel and the Teresa Hall addition to the academy/college, gave St. Benedict's Convent the appearance of a full-fledged monastery with the college under its wing (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives).
Early years in St. Joseph, Minnesota (1863-1880). A new St. Joseph District School #9 was built next to the St. Joseph's Church in 1877. The sisters continued to teach there even though the public versus parochial school controversy had not completely subsided. However, when in 1914, the State Attorney General reinforced an earlier court opinion that the wearing of religious garb while teaching in public schools was unlawful, the parish bought the district school and made it the official St. Joseph's Parochial School. It was later replaced by a larger school which eventually became known as the St. Joseph Lab School in association with the department of education of the College of St. Benedict (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives, McDonald, page 180; Loso, pages 39-40).