Oak Knoll School of The Holy Child - History

History

Founded in 1924, Oak Knoll's roots go back to 1846, when Cornelia Connelly founded the Society of the Holy Child Jesus and opened her first school in England. The Provincial Council of the Society of the Holy Jesus responded to a need identified by the Bishop of Newark for a Catholic School for girls. In January 1924, the Society received permission from Rome to open a school in Summit, New Jersey. Several properties were considered, and the estate of William Zebdee Larned was acquired in May 1924.

The 11-acre (45,000 m2) site included the stone manor house, "Stoneover" (now known as "Grace Hall"), built in 1887. A stable, located where Connelly Hall now stands, provided gym and classroom space for the Junior School. Two houses on Prospect Street also contained classrooms and convent space. In 1954, Bonaventura Hall was constructed for the elementary grades, and in 1956, construction on the new Upper School, Connelly Hall, was completed.

Renovation and growth characterized the 1990s, with the renovation of the Lower School Library in 1992, addition of the Tisdall Hall athletic complex and expansion of the Upper School Library in 1993, renovation of the Grace Hall Chapel in 1994, completion of the Campion Center for the Performing Arts in 1995, and modernization of the Aileen Maury Dining Hall in 1997. From modest beginnings, numbering just 17 students, Oak Knoll's current enrollment exceeds 500 students.

In 2004, Oak Knoll completed construction of athletic fields, located five miles (8 km) away in Chatham Township.

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