Barracks

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After World War II, when many returning veterans headed to college on the GI bill®, St. John’s didn’t have enough dormitory space to accommodate them all.  Up until that time, most students lived in Benet Hall. 

According to The Record, the Federal Public Housing Association allotted five army barracks to SJU, which were sent to Collegeville from Camp Grant, Illinois in 1946.  Each of the five 100×20 foot barracks housed 80 students.  The barracks were placed in what was at the time a practice field for Prep athletics, north of the outdoor handball courts.  Later the handball courts were demolished to make room for Mary Hall. 

A black and white photo of a long, single-story building with a sloped roof, surrounded by bushes and trees. The foreground shows a road, and the leafless trees cast shadows on the structure.
Black and white image of a forested area with several cabins on the left side. A few people are standing and walking along a dirt path between the cabins. Trees with sparse leaves are visible in the background.
A black and white photograph shows several wooden barracks lined up in the snow. A single streetlamp illuminates the scene, casting light on the roofs and snowy ground. The setting appears quiet and remote.
A black and white photo of a construction site with partially built structures. A partially assembled building is in the center. In the background, an older multi-story house and other structures are visible. Scattered building materials are around.

Barracks (left to right): 1948; 1949; 1950 (click thumbnails for larger images)

With Mary Hall under construction to house students by fall 1951, the barracks were moved and put to other uses.  Some were sold (in sections) and removed from campus altogether, to places like Avon and Big Fish Lake.  Others stayed on campus, and were used to form parts of buildings used by the Liturgical Press and Custodial Services, as shown below in this 1966 aerial photo: 

Aerial view of a campus with labeled buildings. "Custodial Services" is marked on a building in the foreground, and "Liturgical Press" is marked on another building nearby. Surrounding buildings and trees are visible, with a lake in the background.

(see also a 1966 view from the south)

Having undergone significant renovations over the years, their initial use as barracks was almost totally obscured over time.

The barracks next to the Liturgical Press were initially used by the Press, but were gradually put to other purposes.  They were razed on June 18, 2018, after serving as space for the Abbey’s artisans and Abbey Woodworking’s laser studio and storage space.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

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