College Hill Park

Many places in St. Joseph were once something else and traces of their former lives can still be seen. That is the case for College Hill Park. Bounded by an impressive stone retaining wall and mature trees, taking up a full city block, this neighborhood park has not always been an open space for play. The park received a facelift in 2019 funded by Community Block Grant funds. It has new play equipment, basketball courts, and picnic tables.

In 1859, the Christian Brothers religious order built an impressive college on the block bounded by Henry, Ridenbaugh, 12^th and 13^th Streets at a cost of $230,000. The onset of the Civil War delayed the school’s opening. The Union army used the building as barracks. The harsh winter weather prompted soldiers to use doors and window casings for firewood. When the war ended, the federal government paid $7,500 to repair the damage. On Sept. 5, 1867 the school on “College Hill” opened its doors to its first class of students. From the beginning the school was famous for high academic standards, rigid discipline, and athletic prowess. Several prominent men were alumni: the political boss Tom Pendergast; the father of the St. Joseph stockyards, John Donovan; and St. Joseph mayor A.P. Clayton all were students. By the mid-1920s, the building’s condition had deteriorated and the decision was made to build a new school (now Bode Middle School). The building on College Hill was sold for salvage for $300 and demolished in 1927.

     The empty space left by the demolition soon became used as a neighborhood park. Local community leaders installed playground equipment and sponsored activities aimed at neighborhood children. In 1953, the City of St. Joseph acquired the park.

     It has remained a beloved and important center for the neighborhood. Unfortunately, at times in its history it was also a place that was neglected. Various neighborhood and community groups have arisen over the years to help clean up the park and to provide resources and programming there. In 1981, the city invested $30,000 in community development funds to refurbish the park. Most recently, in 2019, the City of St. Joseph installed lovely new playground equipment.

     A visit to this treasured neighborhood park will be rewarded with the sounds of happy children playing, the shade of established trees, and – if you stand quietly, close your eyes and open your imagination – the traces of the Christian Brothers School on College Hill.

“Brothers into New Structure,” St. Joseph Gazette, Sept. 18, 1927.

“Eight City Playgrounds Open Monday,” St. Joseph News Press, June 18, 1953.

“Y.M.C.A. Will Offer Three New Classes,” St. Joseph News Press, June 6, 1969.

“College Hill Park Dedication Slated,” St. Joseph Gazette, Nov. 10, 1981.

Tricia Cunningham, “Program Gives Park New Life,” St. Joseph News Press, July 5, 1989.

Allen Seifert, “Volunteers Revive Playground Program,” St. Joseph News Press, July 24, 1990.

Tim McLaughlin, “Kids Clean Up the Park,” St. Joseph News Press, May 23, 1993.

“Downtown Optimists Donate $200 to Equip College Hill Park,” St. Joseph News Press, June 4, 1993.

Scott Pummell, “Neighborhood Tries to Retake its Park,” St. Joseph News Press, July 23, 1995.

Robyn L. Davis and J. Marshall White, St. Joseph, Missouri: A Postcard History (Arcadia Publishing, 1999).