Franklin: Then and Now
The Sacred Heart School of Theology, located on Hwy. 100 near Rawson Avenue, was originally known as the Sacred Heart Monastery and as a seminary for the training of men into the priesthood. It was originally built across the street from the present buildings.
The original building was built in 1897 as a convent for nuns. By 1929 the Priests of the Sacred Heart bought the property and they were the ones to rename it the Sacred Heart Monastery. The property included a multi-storied cream city brick building, numerous farm buildings, a grotto and a boathouse. The property overlooked a large lake, originally called Franklin Lake but now known as Monastery Lake.
In the 1960’s the seminary decided to replace the old deteriorating buildings with a new complex on 20 acres of land across the street. The new buildings were designed to be very distinctive and included an altar centrally positioned with a dramatic sky dome and an imposing gold crown above. On the original site today is a recently built large residential complex which includes living areas for retired clergy.