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| St. Lawrence Elementary School |
| Catholic education in Ironton has been a priority from the very beginning. In 1852, Fr. Gilmour started the first Catholic Church in Ironton, which then had a population of only 600. Religious education of adult railroad workers was conducted in a shanty built with lumber salvaged from the Ohio River. As the town grew, so did the parish’s need for solid Catholic education. In 1864, Fr O’Donohue opened a one room school house not far from the church. Mr. Hannabury was the only teacher for all twelve grades. The 45 students paid only a dollar a piece for tuition. As the parish grew so did the school. In the 1880s a larger structure was built next to the church. It was a four-room school house with three grades per room. The Sisters of St. Joseph and the Sisters of St. Dominic taught at the school until it closed in 1898 due to lack of funds. In 1905 the school was reopened by the Sisters of St. Francis. They were so successful that they soon needed more space. In 1910 a much larger building at the corner of 7th and Center was built, serving grades one through eight. St. Lawrence Grade school served the Ironton area faithfully for many years. Numerous current parishioners have fond memories of their years at St. Lawrence. Although it was hard to leave so much history behind, St. Lawrence Grade School moved to Lawrence St., to a building leased from the Ironton Public School system. The school’s gym and large playground were wonderful bonuses, but classroom space was at a premium. In 2009, St. Lawrence moved again to the former Kingsbury building on S. Sixth St. The new school is more centrally located, has an even larger gym and playground, and enough classrooms to even open a pre-school. The school continues to grow and improve and its future is brighter than ever. |