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A tour of the heart of the campus of Belmont Abbey College. Established in 1876, this Catholic liberal arts college is sponsored by the Benedictine monks of Belmont Abbey. Parts of the campus were designated as part of the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and 1993.

Until the late 19th century the Catholic population in North Carolina consisted of small, scattered parishes that served a few circuit-riding priests. To facilitate Catholicism's growth, in 1876 diocesan priest Fr. Jeremiah O’Connell purchased 500 acres of land in Gaston County, offering the tract to religious orders for the establishment of an institution of higher learning. After appeals to several orders, O'Connell secured the agreement of Abbot Boniface Wimmer, Abbot of St. Vincent's Abbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania to send members of his German-American Benedictine monastery to accept this gift. On April 26, 1876, a monk and two students arrived to the property to establish the Priory of Mary, Help of Christians, or Maryhelp. By 1885 Maryhelp had become an independent abbey under the leadership of Abbot Leo Haid. For almost the next forty years Abbot Haid led Maryhelp's monastic community, and soon, the entire Catholic community of North Carolina. In 1887, Pope Leo XIII named Haid the Vicar Apostolic of North Carolina, a title investing Haid with the authority of a bishop for this missionary region.1   A small chapel initially served the monastery before ground was broken for the Basilica. On May 21, 1892, construction began for the Abbey Church of Maryhelp. However, the project faced grave perils when funds were exhausted in mid-construction. Abbot Leo Haid successfully completed the cathedral through the intercession of St. Katharine Drexel, founder of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament and the first U.S. citizen canonized as a saint. Drexel, a noted advocate for the cause of African Americans and Native Americans, donated $4,000 after Haid offered to racially integrate the church, a bold act in the face of segregation's increasing hold on the region during the Jim Crow era.2The Abbey Church was dedicated in 1894. Peter Dederichs, a Detroit architect, designed the structure in the Gothic Revival style and built it in the form of a cross. He built a roof of slate shingles, and on the west facade, he raised two towers. The first tower is one hundred fifty feet tall, while the other is one hundred feet. The taller tower contains three bells, which continue to ring across campus today. The tower clock was added in 1909. The narthex was built in 1964, and a ramp installed for wheelchair accessibility in 1981.3 Standing in front of the Basilica is a statute of St. Benedict, the father of Western monasticism and founder of the Benedictine order. The statue was imported from Italy in 1924. The statue's symbols reflect the Benedictine tradition and accounts of Benedict's life. The staff, or crosier, represents St. Benedict's authority as abbot. The book represents the Rule of St. Benedict, the central text of Benedictine monastic life. The crow standing at Benedict's feet comes from The Life and Miracles of St. Benedict, the sixth-century hagiography attributed to Pope Gregory the Great. According to this text, an attempt on Benedict's life was foiled through a miraculous intercession when a crow snatched away poisoned food. Today the statue of St. Benedict is a popular spot for photographs and overlooks graduates during the annual commencement exercises.4 The interior of the cathedral prior to 1964 was greatly ornamented by the early monks with a variety of tastes and styles. The most notable ornamentation is the painted glass windows. The windows were created by the Royal Bavarian Establishment of Francis Meyer &amp; Company in Munich, Germany. Mayer submitted the ten windows to the 1892 World’s Fair in Chicago, which won four gold medals. Beyond their beauty, the painted windows informed worshipers of biblical history and the lives of the saints. Windows in the nave portray saints important to the Benedictine tradition, such as St. Benedict, St. Scholastica, St. Boniface, and St. Anselm. Another notable window is dedicated to St. Patrick, easily identified by the shamrock and his green garment. His window was installed to appeal to Irish congregants, an important presence among the scant Catholic population in the state.5  In 1964 the monastery hired Friedrich Schmitt, an architect from Charlotte, to redesign the interior of the cathedral. Schmitt’s vision was to align natural surfaces with the painted windows. The current ceiling is made of cedar, and crafted to appear like a sailing vessel. The pews and choir stalls are oak with olive stain. The floor is flagstone that is polished and waxed, and altars made of Georgia marble. The brick walls were also added during the renovation.Another notable addition made during the 1964 renovations was a distinctive baptismal font. Installed in the narthex was a large circular stone that had stood on the campus since the arrival of the monks. Some claimed the stone was used as a Native American altar, and later for the auctioning of slaves. In 1965 a plaque was added to the stone that states: “Upon this rock, men once were sold into slavery. Now upon this rock, through the waters of Baptism, men become free children of God.”6 The Basilica held the designation of a cathedral from 1910-1977, reflecting the distinctive canonical status of the abbot of Belmont Abbey within North Carolina's Catholic hierarchy. Over those decades the Catholic population of the state swelled, resulting in the establishment of the Diocese of Raleigh in 1925, and the Diocese of Charlotte in 1972. Abbot Leo Haid and the monastic community of Belmont Abbey contributed to the growth of this community through their leadership, prayer, and sacrifice. In recognition of the importance of this structure, in 1972 the structure was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.7 In 1998 the church was elevated to the status of minor basilica by Pope John Paul II, an honor granted because of the church's important contribution to the development of Catholicism in the region.8 Today Mary, Help of Christians Basilica serves the spiritual needs of the monks, faculty, staff, and students of Belmont Abbey. The Basilica's exterior also serves as the site for the annual commencements exercises of the college.

The Basilica of Mary, Help of Christians is the spiritual center of the Benedictine monks of Belmont Abbey monastery and the Belmont Abbey college community. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 and designated as a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1998, the history of the Abbey Basilica is intertwined with the development of the Roman Catholic Church in North Carolina.

The Basillica of Mary, Help of Christians in 1975. Source: Fr. Paschal Baumstein, Blessings in the Years to Come (1997)

Basilica of Mary, Help of Christians, Belmont Abbey

The
inspiration for the Grotto derives from the Grotto at Massabielle in Lourdes,
France. In 1858, St. Bernadette Soubirous experienced a series of miraculous apparitions
from Mary, the Virgin Mother of the God, at a nearby cave. These apparitions,
and a series of miraculous healings associated with the waters of the Grotto,
transformed the site into one of Catholicism’s most important centers of Marian
devotion. Inspired by the example of St. Bernadette, religious communities
across the world built similar grottos in honor of the Our Lady of Lourdes.&nbsp; &nbsp; 

The creation of Belmont Abbey’s Our
Lady of Lourdes Grotto was likewise inspired by prayers for miraculous healing.
In 1890, monk and professor Fr. Francis Meyer contracted typhoid fever, a deadly
bacterial infection. His fellow monks prayed for Meyer’s recovery as his condition
deteriorated over a month of illness. Fr. Felix Hintermeyer, the monastery’s
prior, made a special intention dedicated to Meyer’s healing:
if Meyer survived, the monks would build a grotto dedicated to Our Lady of
Lourdes. Meyer subsequently recovered, and work began promptly to establish the
site.

Constructed
from granite from the surrounding area, the Grotto has served as a place of
prayer since its consecration in 1891. The Grotto stands near the monastery and
Abbey Basilica, in a shaded and quiet corner of the campus. The center of the Grotto
is a niche housing a nearly six-foot-tall statue of Our Lady of Lourdes, made of
terra cotta. An altar constructed of wood, granite, and marble joins the
statue, and has been the site of religious devotion for over the 120 years since
the Grotto’s construction. A statue of St. Walburga stands to the side, a
fitting accompaniment. A secondary patroness of Belmont Abbey, St. Walburga was
a Benedictine missionary to medieval Germany and her burial place was renowned
as a site of miraculous healing.

The Grotto was consecrated on May 7,
1891, on the Solemnity of the Ascension, amid a festive atmosphere. Visitors
from across the state joined to celebrate what Hintermeyer described as “the
Southern shrine of the Queen of the Clergy for Priestly Vocations.” A seventeen-piece
brass band played as a procession of monks, clergy, and laity participated in
the event. Abbot Leo Haid introduced Father Francis Meyer and recounted his
illness and recovery. A fireworks show concluded the celebrations that evening.1In the century since the Grotto’s
establishment, the quiet corner of the Belmont Abbey campus has been a site for
prayer and reflection for monks, students, and the surrounding community. The Grotto has also been the site of special pilgrimages, such as the Diocese of Raleigh's Marian Year pilgrimage in 1954.2 The
Grotto was included as a part of the Belmont Abbey College Historic District in
the National Register of Historic Places in 1993 because of its historic and
artistic distinctiveness.3

Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto, situated behind the Our Lady of Help Basilica and monastery at Belmont Abbey, is a place of quiet prayer and reflection. An open and airy space, the monks of Belmont Abbey constructed the grotto in thanksgiving for the healing of a sick monk and in honor of the Our Lady of Lourdes shrine in Lourdes, France. Constructed in 1891, the space has served the Belmont Abbey community for over a century as a place of prayer and quiet reflection.



Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto is a historic campus structure part of the Belmont Abbey College. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part the Belmont Abbey Historic District in 1993.

Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto, Belmont Abbey Historic District

Originally known as the “College Building,” Stowe Hall has served as the academic center of Belmont Abbey College since its construction in the late 19th century. Over the generations this structure has served as the college’s main classroom building, as well as offices for college administrators and faculty. Over the generations Stowe Hall has also housed students and monks, a dining hall, a chapel, a museum, and even a rifle range. Renamed Robert Lee Stowe Hall in 1983, this building remains a center of academic and administrative activity for Belmont Abbey College. The College Building was built under the direction of Abbot Leo Haid and Brother Wolfgang Traxler, O.S.B, of St. Vincent’s Abbey (Latrobe, PA). Construction began in 1886 and was finally completed in 1898. The design of the College Building featured a direct structural connection to the Monastery. This architectural feature reflects the continuous involvement of the Benedictine community in the sponsorship and operation of the college since its early beginnings. Other notable architectural features include the Gothic tower on the western side of the building, and a portico at the front entrance of the building. The Administration Building has served the academic center of campus for over 130 years. That period, however, has been marked by several destructive fires, including a disastrous blaze in 1900. That fire gutted the building, only two years after construction had been completed. Much of the college’s classroom furniture and equipment was lost, including the bulk of college’s library collection. Thankfully, no loss of life occurred, despite the severity of the blaze. Work and fund raising to restore the building began immediately, and the college resumed classes in the College Building the following academic year. Over the course of the twentieth century, the College Building continued to serve as a classroom building and administrative center. In 1983, Belmont Abbey College renamed the building in honor of Robert Lee Stowe (1866-1963). A local entrepreneur and leader in the regional textile industry, Stowe’s management of Belmont textile mills resulted in the city’s growth and development in the early 20th century. A noted philanthropist, Stowe and his extended family have supported numerous charitable and educational endeavors within in the city of Belmont and local community. Robert Lee Stowe Hall was included as a part of the Belmont Abbey College Historic District in the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.

The classroom and college administration building for Belmont Abbey College. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part the Belmont Abbey Historic District in 1993.

Contemporary view of Robert Lee Stowe Hall 

Robert Lee Stowe Hall, Belmont Abbey Historic District

St. Leo’s Hall has been an important and versatile campus structure since its construction in 1907. Over it's century of existence, St. Leo's has housed at various stages as a dormitory, campus library, gymnasium, orchestra and dramatic hall, music studio, classrooms, offices for professors and staff, the campus bookstore, and a student recreational facility. While various renovations to the interior have occurred throughout the building’s history, the exterior has reflected the distinct architectural style of its creator, Fr. Michael McInerney.  Constructed in 1907, St. Leo's Hall was the first structure built by Fr. Michael McInerney, an architect and professed Benedictine monk of Belmont Abbey. In his design McInerney employed the hallmarks of what became known as the American Benedictine architectural style, a distinct approach for which he would win significant acclaim. St. Leo's design inspired many of his future creations. During his remarkable career Fr. McInerney built over 200 churches, monasteries, convents, hospitals, and other structures.1  St. Leo’s Hall takes its name from St. Leo the Great, the patron saint of Abbot Leo Haid, the first abbot of Belmont Abbey and key figure in the history of Catholicism in North Carolina. Today, St. Leo’s houses a variety of campus spaces: Grace Auditorium, the Career Services Office, The Catholic Shoppe, and the College Bookstore.  In 1993 St. Leo’s Hall was recognized by the United States’ Register of Historic of Places as part of the Belmont Abbey College Historic District.

St. Leo's Hall, a historic campus structure designated as part of the Belmont Abbey College. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part the Belmont Abbey Historic District in 1993.

St. Leo's Hall. Belmont Abbey Historic District.

The Haid Theatre and Ballroom is named after Abbot Leo Haid, the first abbot of Belmont Abbey.  Constructed it 1929, the Haid has served as a gymnasium, ballroom, and home of the Abbey Players, Belmont Abbey’s theatrical company.  Abbot Leo Haid (1849-1924) was born near Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and educated by the Benedictine monks of St. Vincent’s Archabbey. He joined the monastic community as a novice in 1868, during the tenure of Abbot Boniface Wimmer. Wimmer was a noted figure in the history of American monasticism, and founded numerous Benedictine communities across North America. One such community was Mary, Help of Christians Priory, founded in 1876. Located in what is today Belmont, North Carolina, the priory was founded on property donated by Father Jeremiah O’Connell, a circuit-riding priest of the Diocese of Charleston. Amid the difficult early years of organizing the priory, Wimmer dispatched twelve monks to establish a new, independent monastery. Haid was among those monks, and in 1885 they elected him as their first abbot. Haid’s leadership of the monastery and the college made a critical important contribution to the development of Catholicism in North Carolina, a missionary state without a diocese. In 1887 Pope Pius X named Haid as the Vicar Apostolic of North Carolina to lead the Catholic community in the state. Following Haid’s death in 1924, the newly constructed gymnasium was named in his honor. The Haid was designed by Fr. Michael McInerney, the noted Benedictine architect responsible for many of the buildings in the Belmont Abbey Historic District. In keeping with the rest of the campus, McInerney designed the building’s exterior in the Gothic Revival style.  Until 1970, the Haid served as the site of basketball games, dances, and other student activities. Notable among the chapters of Abbey athletic history in the Haid was the tenure of Coach Al McGuire from 1957-1964. McGuire led the Abbey basketball team to repeated appearances in the NAIA tournament before moving on to Marquette University, where he later won a national championship. Interior renovations to the Haid in 1987 facilitated the creation of a ballroom for campus events, and a theater for the Abbey Players. The Abbey Players number among one of the oldest theatre companies in North Carolina, performing at Belmont Abbey since 1883. Leo Haid himself was a devoted supporter of the dramatic arts, staging readings and performances early in the college’s history. Over the decades that followed, the Abbey Players have staged comedies, dramas, and musicals at different venues on campus. The Haid Theatre has been the permanent home of the college’s drama program since 1987.  In recognition of the importance of this structure, in 1993 the structure was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. A newest addition to the Haid is a collection of sacred art. The Francis and Lilly Robiscek Collection was installed in 2016 following a renovation of the Haid Ballroom. This collection, once housed in the monastery, now is on display for the entire college community.

A historic campus structure of the Belmont Abbey College. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part the Belmont Abbey Historic District in 1993.

The Haid Theatre and Balloom, Belmont Abbey Historic District

Abbey Lane numbers among the most scenic and iconic parts of the campus of Belmont Abbey College. Originally a public road, in 1885 Abbey Lane was made a private road linking the college to the nearby town of Belmont. Abbey Lane remained open to traffic in the decades ahead, but today is open only to pedestrians. The tree-lined path cuts through the heart of the old campus, extending from Robert Lee Stowe Hall to the William Gaston Science Building. At the head of Abbey Lane is the seal of Belmont Abbey College, a symbol that tells the story of the college’s history. A Latin phrase encircling the symbol connotes the “Seal of Belmont Abbey College” and the college’s founding year of 1876. To the sides of the interior shield are two laurel branches, an ancient emblem for education. Above the shield is an abbreviated Latin phrase, U.I.O.G.D., associated with the Benedictine order: Ut in omibus glorificetur Deus (That in all things God may be glorified). In the interior of the shield are ten stars. These symbolize the first ten choir monks of the Abbey of Mary Help of Christians (the future Belmont Abbey). The lion represents and of Abbot Leo Haid, the first abbot of the monastery (and a play on the Latin word for lion, leo).  A special procession down Abbey Lane marks the end of the academic year: graduation. In May the year’s graduates proceed down the heart of the old campus to the front of the Abbey Basilica, to receive their degrees and academic honors. This annual event connects the students of today with those first students who arrived to campus in 1876.

Abbey Lane is a historic pathway running through the heart of the campus of Belmont Abbey College. It was designated as part of the Belmont Abbey Historic District by the U.S. Register of Historic Places in 1993.

Abbey Lane

Belmont Abbey has supported a campus library since 1886, with
the original repository located on the ground floor of the main college
building, Robert Lee Stowe Hall. The initial collection consisted of 300 books secured
by Abbot Leo Haid, the founding abbot of the monastic community. Tragically,
much of this original collection was lost during a fire in 1900 that gutted the
main college building.1 Sustained efforts to rebuild the library resulted in a
remarkable new collection, thanks in part to Belmont Abbey monk Fr. Thomas
Oestereich. Dispatched to Europe by Abbot Haid after World War I, Oestereich acquired
a substantial collection drawn from libraries damaged or disrupted by the
aftermath of the conflict.2&nbsp;&nbsp;The location
of the campus library shifted to other campus buildings in the subsequent
decades. The college’s expansion following World War II demanded the creation
of a dedicated structure to house the college’s growing collections. 

The library building was designed by Fr. Michael McInerney
(1877-1963), a monk of Belmont Abbey and noted architect. McInerney oversaw the
construction of over 200 churches, monasteries, convents, and hospitals,
including much of the infrastructure of the college campus. The library would
be his final architectural achievement. In the entry for the library in the
National Register of Historic Places, the library “displays [McInerney’s]
adaptation of modernist design influences in the last stages of his career.”3

The library is dedicated to Abbot Vincent Taylor (1877-1959),
the second abbot of Belmont Abbey and successor of Abbot Leo Haid. Taylor is
credited with leading the college through a period of expansion and development,
resulting in the establishment of the modern college as it operates today.

The library’s holdings have vastly increased since the college’s founding. Today the Abbot Vincent Taylor Library houses approximately 125,000 print titles, provides links to&nbsp; to databases offering 350,000 full text e-books and 25,000 digital journals, plus microfilms, streaming video, DVD’s, and digital archival collections.. Particularly
noteworthy are the Library’s special collections. The 13,000 works held in the Rare
Books Collections date from as far back as the 15th century. Among
the most noted of these titles is a work of the noted medieval theologian
Albertus Magnus, the Compendium Theologicae Veritatus (1474).4 Other notable
collections include the Fr. Abram J. Ryan Archive, featuring letters and
manuscripts of the noted Civil War poet5, and the Benedictine Collection, dedicated
to the fifteen centuries of the monastic order’s history and ministry.6&nbsp; In addition to the Library’s collections,
significant space is set aside for a Learning Commons, computer stations, study
carrels, and academic and research support resources.The Abbot Vincent Taylor Library was listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a part of the Belmont Abbey Historic District in 1993. In 2015, a $1.5 million renovation of the Library enhanced the Library's entrance&nbsp;and accessibility.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Constructed in 1959, Abbot Vincent Taylor Library is at the heart of Belmont Abbey College’s educational mission. Reflecting both the medieval traditions of Benedictine monasticism and digital innovations of the 21st century, the Library serves as a campus center for research, study, instruction, and academic support. The library was listed as a contributing property in the National Register of Historic Places as part the Belmont Abbey Historic District in 1993.

Entrance of the Abbot Vincent Taylor Library following renovations in 2015.

Abbot Vincent Taylor Library, Belmont Abbey Historic District.

Bishop John England
(1786-1842) of the Diocese of Charleston, South Carolina, selected Gaston as one of five Catholics chosen to host religious services at their private homes. Gaston and his Catholic neighbors eventually raised enough
money in 1841 to construct St. Paul’s Church of New Bern.1 Gaston's greatest political prominence occurred during North Carolina's Constitutional Convention in 1835. Most notably, he advocated for revision of Article Thirty-Two of the old state constitution, which stipulated that North Carolina’s elected officials
and civil servants be Protestants, a reflection of anti-Catholic sentiment during the colonial period. Gaston persuaded the delegates to
revise the constitutional requirement and remove the associated stigma against Catholic citizens. While a slaveholder, Gaston also proved a critic of slavery and the racial norms of his day. During the 1835 Constitutional Convention Gaston advocated for the&nbsp;suffrage of African American freeman&nbsp;and for other&nbsp;democratic reforms. As a justice on the North Carolina Supreme Court, Gaston also ruled in favor of an African American slave abused by his master, a case cited in a critical dissent to the infamous U.S. Supreme Court Case decision&nbsp;Dred Scott v. Sanford.2 Gaston also composed "The Old North State," a patriotic anthem adopted as the state's official song by the North Carolina legislature in 1927.3 In honor of William Gaston's public service, Gaston County and its principal city, Gastonia, are named in his honor.&nbsp; In 1969, an event that resonated with Gaston's historic connection to the issue of civil rights impacted the campus community.&nbsp;Belmont Abbey College desegregated in 1954, but African American students remained a distinct minority within the student body. Amid&nbsp;the tumult of the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War, around 4:30 a.m. on April 29, 1969, seven African-American students&nbsp;took to the roof of the William Gaston Science Building and staged a public protest. This protest&nbsp;called for college reforms concerning African American representation in the student body, faculty, and academic curriculum, and for recognizing the birthday of the recently-assassinated&nbsp;Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.&nbsp;Instead, a call went out for the police. In what would become a dramatic 14-hour event, the takeover of the Gaston Science Building became a tense standoff after the arrival of crowds and onlookers&nbsp;from the neighboring community. News of the event was broadcast on the nightly national news and reported by local newspapers for several days. The protest ended peacefully after negotiation with the college administration.&nbsp; However, the students involved in the protests received indefinite suspensions. The protest became a formative event for that generation of Belmont Abbey students, and the most significant student protest on the campus during the tumultuous Sixties.4 In 2018 the Gaston Science Building underwent extensive renovation to facilitate continued scientific instruction for the 21st century.5

William Gaston Science Building was constructed in 1967 and is currently host to the departments of biology, chemistry, mathematics, physical sciences, and psychology. The building was named after William Gaston (1778-1844), a prominent attorney, congressman, and justice on the North Carolina Supreme Court. Gaston was a leading figure in the development of the Catholic Church in North Carolina in the early 19th century when no organized parishes existed or permanent churches established.  

Completion of the Gaston Science Building. Source: The Spire Yearbook, Belmont Abbey College, 1967.

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Tour of the Belmont Abbey College Historic District

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