1952 - Hennessy Hall, Saint Mary of the Plains Campus - Dodge City, Kansas - Dated Buildings and Cornerstones on Waymarking.com

Hennessy Hall on the Saint Mary of the Plains campus in Dodge City was constructed in 1952 as the first building on campus. The earlier academy was destroyed by a tornado in 1942. Saint Mary of the Plains Academy, High School and College, operated by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Wichita, played a prominent role in the educational development of Dodge City and southwest Kansas. In 1967 the building was named in honor of Bishop John J. Hennessy of the Wichita Diocese, founder of the Saint Mary of the Plains Academy in 1912. The building served as the focal point of campus life through Saint Mary of the Plains' forty year history. Saint Mary of the Plains was the only four-year college in southwest Kansas and the only private four-year college in the western half of the state.

The building was designed by the St. Louis firm of Maguolo and Quick, well known for their design of Catholic institutional buildings in the "Modern" style. The four story blond brick building is in a simple building form with little ornamentation. The building is a good representative of the Modern Movement in architecture.

The school closed following the 1991-92 school year due to financial reason. The building and surrounding grounds were purchased by the City of Dodge City in 1995. The surrounding grounds have been converted to recreation facilities. Hennessy Hall though under utilize is used for various organization and the local economic development corporation is exploring further uses - from nomination form

Year of construction: 1952 Cross-listed waymark: [Web Link] Full inscription: Erected A.D. 1952

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