St. Edward Seminary

St. Edward Seminary

Saint Edward Seminary (sometimes "Saint Edward's Seminary") was an institution for developing Catholic priests in the US state of Washington. Dedicated to Saint Edward the Confessor and located in the city of Kenmore, it operated for 46 years before closing in 1976. The seminary and most of its grounds now constitute Saint Edward State Park. The seminary was located on a 366 acres (148 ha; 0.572 sq mi) property purchased in the late 1920s. Building plans were scaled back in 1929 due to the Great Depression. In 1931, the seminary opened as a minor seminary; it became a major (college level) seminary in 1935. In 1958, Saint Thomas the Apostle Seminary opened as a major seminary on 50 acres of the site and St. Edward continued as a minor seminary. The Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle closed St. Edward in 1976 and sold it to the State of Washington in 1977. It became Saint Edward State Park in 1978. After St. Thomas closed, Bastyr University leased and later bought that campus.