Villa Maria Academy incorporates over a century of extraordinary contributions to the education of young women. The richness of its historical heritage exemplifies the clear vision, which preceded, and has led to the present formative, spiritual and academic experience.
In 1871 the crowded conditions in the Motherhouse, Novitiate, and Boarding School of the Sister Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary located in Reading, Pennsylvania, made it imperative to build a new facility. Property was purchased in the borough of West Chester, Pennsylvania. On July 27, 1872 the sisters took possession of their new home and the former Pennsylvania Military Academy became The Academy of the Immaculate Heart.
The Academy grew quickly in West Chester prompting Mother Camilla to look for land on which to build a larger facility. On September 15, 1914, an expanded Villa Maria opened at Immaculata, Pennsylvania. As conceived by Mother Camilla, Villa Maria at Immaculata had been planned for college purposes. Pending the accomplishment of these purposes, however, it was used as Villa Maria Academy for girls in grades one through twelve. The development of the college presented a problem for the Academy. For an institution for advanced education to receive accreditation, it had to be segregated in building, student body, faculty, and residence hall from any secondary school. Thus, Villa Maria Academy required a new location.
During the summer of 1924, information was received regarding an available estate about five miles from Immaculata. The property was not for sale in the ordinary sense of the word. It could be transferred for a nominal sum to a purchaser who would guarantee to maintain its present state of careful preservation. The entire estate was acquired by the Sisters Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary during the summer months of 1924. Negotiations were completed on October 21, 1924.
With little adjustment the buildings were adapted to the purpose of an Academy. The mansion itself was used as a convent and residence hall. The other adjoining buildings described in the deed furnished ample school space for students in grades one through twelve. May 15, 1925 marked the opening of Villa Maria Academy at Green Tree in Malvern.
Villa Maria Academy flourished for fifty years at the Green Tree estate. During this time the student population increased and the school expanded several times. One major expansion included the construction in 1966 of St. Joseph Hall to accommodate students in grades one through eight. Despite efforts to accommodate the steadily increasing population, the facilities were reaching a point where they were no longer adequate for both the grade school and the high school.
Responding to a vision of the future, the elementary grades moved from the Malvern location to the Villa Maria House of Studies at Immaculata. The parents of the Lower School students moved the school to its present location on June 10, 1979. With minimum adjustments and renovations the building was transformed from a residence building into a school for grades one through eight. Classes began at this location on September 4, 1979. A computer program implemented in 1982 broadened the curriculum to include instruction in technology. Expansion Occurred with the initiation of a kindergarten program in 1984.
In 1986, for the first time in its one hundred fourteen-year history, the school embarked upon a Development Program to raise capital funds for major renovations. This step enabled the school to accommodate a greater number of girls, with a unique and valuable education at an affordable price. At this time generous donors came forth, expressed appreciation of Villa’s presence, and witnessed a desire to share a role in the school’s standard of excellence in education. The expansion project allowed the creation of additional classrooms and a subsequent reduction in class size. The expansion began with the creation of two kindergarten classes. The addition of a class at each grade level continued each year until its completion in 1990 when there were two classes of each from kindergarten through eight.
The Development Program initiated in 1986 created a Fine Arts Center, a faculty dining room, and a lecture hall equipped with a state of the art multimedia presentation system. Each year the Development Program has added to the excellence of Villa Maria Academy. It has provided a fully equipped science laboratory, cafeteria and library renovations, and the expansion of computer technology.
Since its relocation to Immaculata, the clear vision of its administration has enabled Villa Maria Academy to actualize its goals and proceed confidently into the twenty-first century. Villa Maria’s return to Immaculata, as evidenced by its progression of moves, has brought the Academy full circle on the road built upon the heritage of faithfulness and commitment to excellence begun by its originators and continued by those who followed.