History

IC PreSchool
(Age 1-5)

931-647-9276
740 Franklin St.
Clarksville, TN 37040
 

IC School
(Grades K-8)

931-645-1865
1901 Madison St.
Clarksville, TN 37043

A Glance Through The Years

Immaculate Conception School was founded in 1860 by Immaculate Conception Church under the name St. Aloysius School for Boys and Girls. It was located at the corner of 7th and Franklin Streets on what is now the parking lot of the church’s Columbus Hall. In 1876, the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth from Bardstown, KY took over operation of the school. In 1880, the school was moved to new property on the opposite corner of 7th and Franklin Streets.

A New Name   The parish was originally named St. Mary’s. At the time of the move from the first church, located at 4th and College Street, the parish changed its name to The Church of the Immaculate Conception. At the same time the name of the school was changed to St. Mary’s School in honor of the first name of the parish. In the fall of 1887, Dominican Sisters from the Congregation of St. Cecilia in Nashville, TN took over operating the school. In 1916, then pastor Fr. Alphonse Nolan, a renowned sculptor and builder, began the construction of a new building which remained in use from 1917 to 1968. In 1968, with a downturn in enrollment and the economy, coupled with the need for a more modern building, the decision was made to close St. Mary’s School.

A New Beginning    By 1999, there was growing interest among parish members of Immaculate Conception to revive a Catholic elementary school for the education and faith formation of their children. The Jubilee Year of 2000 marked the return of St. Mary's Catholic School at the current site on Madison Street. The new St. Mary's School opened its doors on August 15, 2000 serving grades Kindergarten through Fourth, implementing an additional grade each year until Eighth grade was established. St. Mary’s School operates in conjunction with St. Mary’s Preschool, which serves our youngest children starting at age one and culminating with a pre-Kindergarten program. 

Moving Forward   Most recently, in 2011, the name of the school was once again changed to Immaculate Conception School. In order to solidify the school identity with the parish, the parish name was extended to include the Elementary and Middle School, as well as the Preschool.