Three Century's of Life: A Saint Mary's College Story

Nestled along Hardin’s Creek in Marion County, Kentucky, Saint Mary’s College operated for over 150 years as a pillar of Catholic education before closing in 1976.

From Whiskey Barrels to Seminary Benches

Father William Byrne arrived in frontier Kentucky in 1821 with a vision to establish a Catholic school for boys. Working with Father George Elder, Byrne acquired a 311-acre farm known as Mount Mary, a former whiskey distillery site. He accepted tuition in “corn, eggs, or livestock” and had students labor one day weekly on the school farm. Within a decade, Byrne had educated over 1,200 boys, including future Archbishop Martin John Spalding.

The Nerinckx-Byrne Feud: A Clash of Saints

Father Charles Nerinckx had previously secured the Mount Mary land. Upon returning from Europe, he discovered Byrne’s school already operating there. Bishop Benedict Joseph Flaget negotiated a compromise: Nerinckx’s Sisters relocated to nearby St. Stephen’s Farm.

The Jesuit Era and the Birth of Fordham University (1833-1846)

Following Byrne’s death from cholera in 1833, Bishop Flaget invited the Jesuits to oversee the college. In 1846, Jesuit superiors withdrew the entire faculty to establish what became Fordham University in New York.

Holding On Through Hard Times (1848-1871)

Alumni included Kentucky Governor J. Proctor Knott and poet Theodore O’Hara. Civil War pressures caused temporary closure in 1869.

Resurrection and Renaissance (1871-1929)

The Congregation of the Resurrection revitalized the college in 1871. Military training began in 1882. Basketball, baseball, and boxing teams became sources of community pride between 1915 and 1935.

Seminary Years (1929-1975)

The Great Depression forced transformation into a minor seminary.

The Final Bell of 1976

By the early 1970s, declining vocations and mounting maintenance costs forced closure.

Part Two: The Cornucopia Years

By the late 1970s, Ken Keyes Jr., author of “Handbook to Higher Consciousness,” established the Cornucopia Institute on the abandoned campus. By 1982-1983, they relocated to Oregon.

From Consciousness to Confinement: The Prison Years

In 1985, the U.S. Corrections Corporation opened the Marion Adjustment Center (MAC), Kentucky’s first for-profit correctional facility. In 2013, Kentucky ended its contract and the facility closed.

They Were Not Left Behind

In summer 1980, approximately four years after the college closed, the cemetery was cleared respectfully. Remains were transferred to Saint Charles Church Cemetery and Saint Rose Priory.