Dan Antion

St. Scholastica Doors

Welcome to Thursday Doors! This is a weekly challenge for people who love doors and architecture to come together to admire and share their favorite door photos, drawings, or other images or stories from around the world. If you’d like to join us, simply create your own Thursday Doors post each (or any) week and then share a link to your post in the comments below, anytime between 12:01 am Thursday morning and Saturday noon (North American eastern time). If you like, you can add our badge to your post.

A plumbing repair job on Wednesday went off the rails, as it were. Things are fine, but this occurred on the heels of another plumbing-related mishap on Tuesday. Don’t worry, we have recovered from both issues, but our schedules were disrupted, to say the least.

As a result, I have doors from St. Scholastica to share today, but I don’t have much by way of information. I am including the following information off the College’s website.

St. Scholastica was founded in Duluth in 1912 by a group of pioneering Benedictine Sisters who offered college courses to six young women. Today, more than 4,000 men and women study here each year.

Campus buildings include the Science Center, Burns Wellness Commons and the iconic Tower Hall, as well as a library, chapel, 500-seat auditorium, black-box theater, and on-campus dorms, suites and apartments. The Duluth campus also includes the St. Scholastica Monastery, home to the Benedictine Sisters, whose values guide the College today.

https://www.css.edu/locations/duluth-main-campus/

I will likely be late getting to your posts and comments today. I will be catching up on activity from the past two days today and tomorrow. I hope you enjoy the architecture I was able to explore in Duluth. I also hope you will visit the doors from some of the other participants.

When I started walking, I saw the buildings I needed to explore.
I took this as we entered the parking lot.
I don’t know what this building is, but it’s beautiful.
The College of St. Scholastica
The building is labeled “The College of St. Scholastica”
Those appear to be original doors. It’s a remarkable entrance.
The College of St. Scholastica from the southeast
Chapel of Our Lady Queen of Peace
Connection to the College building.
Chapel entracnce
I would imaging that after a long winter, it must feel good to walk along the outside.
I’m not sure if this is the Monastery or if the whole place is.
The doors appear to be more modern replacements. The entrance was built in to narrow the entrance a bit. The brick blends in with the stone well.
Significant doors.
The major buildings as linked by stone walkways and covered walkways. This is common in Minnesota to provide protected access between buildings during the substantial winter.
Side doors, but quite interesting.

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144 comments

    • It’s been such a crazy week, Robbie. I think we’re going to slide slowly into the weekend after putting some tools away and putting a lot of trash out at the curb tonight.

      I was planning to learn more about these buildings. Everything was closed when we were there. I was surprised to read that the school was built after 1900. Stonework was winding down at that point. It is beautiful and I’m glad we were able to visit.

      I hope you’ve had a good week.

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    • Thanks – Yes, these buildings were meant to stand strong agains the harsh winters in northern Minnesota. I love the way they are linked.

      Thanks for your two contributions very different, but each interesting.

      Liked by 1 person

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    • Tough and determined might have been required to start a college in Duluth in the early 1900s, Ian. The stonework is incredible. I could stand and stare at the walls for a long time.

      Your appeal is a worthy effort. I wish you success.

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  13. Incredible craftsmanship in these buildings. Stonework is outstanding. I like all the doors, but that side door caught my eye. Clearly these buildings were made to last and serve a purpose.

    Sorry to hear about those nasty plumbing problems. Like us, our homes have aged and need some TLC. Glad it’s under control, but sounds like you met up with the famous monkey wrench that gums up the works!

    26 degrees this morning! Remember when temperature changes from season to season were gradual and easy to handle? Well, I guess those days are gone forever. Hmmmm, why can’t Covid be gone forever?
    Ginger

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    • I’m glad you like these photos, Ginger. I found that side door to be very attractive and, of course, I love stone structures. There’s such a feeling of permanence and strength. I love how the buildings are connected.

      Cold here this morning, but not that cold. Maddie is rocking her buffalo plaid vest on our walks.

      The plumbing gremlin came for a visit and decided to stay overnight. I think he’s gone now. I hope you’re getting ready for a nice weekend.

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  17. So sorry about the plumbing issues, Dan. What a pain! The photos of St.Scholastica are remarkable. And the entrance is dramatic, certainly not for the faint of heart. Thank you for sharing!

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    • Thanks Gwen. We survived the twin plumbing disasters, and hopefully the steps we took will prevent them from recurring. It’s never a good week when you need a Wet-Dry Vac :(

      The buildings on this campus, and the connecting paths and covered walkways were really impressive. So much stone.

      I hope you have a good rest of the week.

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  18. The doors are great, especially the original one with the fancywork around it, but I’m captivated by the stone. Those towers, tho! This reminds me of St. Meinrad Monastery and the Monastery of the Sisters of St. Benedict in Indiana. I think I did a Thursday Doors on St. Meinrad. My doors today are the last of my driving doors. If I don’t break down and leave the house, I’ll be back to doors from my friend’s trip to England about five years ago. Plenty of those left! Meanwhile, https://marianallen.com/2021/11/riding-around-thursdaydoors/

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  19. Having been taught by the Benedictines in grade school (and still corresponding with my second-grade teacher!), I understand the strength and spirit in these buildings. Built to last, indeed. I’d say even defiant, but with a particular beauty. Plumbing, not so much. What a way to spend the days!

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    • Wow! That’s a relationship that has survived well. These buildings, built in what had to be harsh surroundings in the early 1900s truly was defiant. Or maybe just a sign of faith. In any case, they are beautiful and they have survived for over a century of service. Thanks for stopping by, Maureen.

      Liked by 1 person

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    • The chapel is a very impressive building. I would have loved to have gone inside. We were visiting over a holiday weekend, so no one was around. I also like the way the buildings are connected with stone hallways.

      Thank you for sharing some very special doors today.

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    • Thanks Hilary. I think we are beyond the plumbing issues. I was amazed at these impressive stone buildings. We were there on a holiday weekend, so everything was closed. I would have loved to have looked inside a few, especially the chapel.

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  31. St Scholastica, sister of St Benedict. I remember reading all about her in grammar school. This school is beautiful. When I see something as magnificent as this, I wonder if the students don’t feel a certain sense of pride (not in a sinful way!) as they walk through these doors every day.

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    • When I attended graduate school in the Cathedral of Learning, I know I did. It felt so good to belong in that building, to call it mine. I still feel that way when we visit. This place was magnificent, Lois. We were there over Labor Day weekend, so it was closed. I would have loved to have gone inside the chapel.

      Liked by 1 person

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  36. It’s a gorgeous building with beautiful doors and windows. I love those arched walkways, and the brick, stone, and the artful way the architecture designed it all.

    BTW- You and several other people I follow weren’t in my inbox this morning! There’s seems to be a new button to turn on in settings so, I’m hoping that works, but now I have to go look up everyone and make sure that button regarding notifications is turned on! I didn’t get a notice about having a new option to manage.
    Sigh.

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Thanks Marla. I think we’re done with plumbing projects for a while. Water is flowing when and where it’s supposed to.

      Thanks for sharing some wonderful photos today and for some interesting history.

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  43. […] I returned yesterday from my trip to Düsseldorf in Germany. I went there to visit my best friend and her family. Düsseldorf is a rather beautiful city with old, historical houses and modern buildings. Kaiserswerth is a particularly charming part of Düsseldorf. Therefore, I am sharing here a selection of unique, beautiful doors from Kaiserswerth, Düsseldorf for this week’s Thursday doors challenge. […]

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  44. Sorry to hear the mishaps, Dan. My poor hubby has a summer like that and things finally seem to be slowing down. Beautiful gallery and I was in awe of the stonework. I especially was fascinated with the arches and the designs all created by stone. What a feeling the entire place must have …… thank you for again sharing a piece of history with all us.

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  47. Some very impressive entrances in your collection this week, Dan. The Queen of Peace arch must be the biggest one you’ve featured yet. They would be a bit daunting to me on a first day in college but it would be an amazing place to study.

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    • I think it would be a wonderful place to study, Jean, but you’re right, it would be a be daunting. I love the stone walkways between the buildings. The buildings themselves are remarkable.

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  53. […] On the day of Diwali, today, I recall one of the quietest Diwali days that I had. It was in Tawang. We visited the birthplace of the sixth Dalai Lama, a quiet little temple called Urgelling gompa. There seemed to be no one there. We looked at the beautiful 600 years old white gompa with its two yellow doors, uncertain about what to do. Our driver was a local boy, and he went to a nearby house and came back with the caretaker. The lean middle-aged caretaker carried two keys with which he unlocked the doors. […]

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  54. Built in 1912! Interesting that even at that time the aesthetics of universities was rooted in the architecture of European monasteries. The brutalism of today’s concrete blocks was still a few decades in the future.

    Sorry I’m late linking today, even though the post was scheduled early enough.

    The doors of life

    Liked by 1 person

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    • The challenge runs into Saturday, so you’re not late. I appreciate your comment and I very much appreciate your post. I’ve learned about Diwali from a friend and fellow blogger, but I always enjoy learning about how people celebrate or observe these days. Your post is wonderful.

      We have a building in our town that was a manufacturing company for years in the mid-late 1800s on up through the early 1990s. The original sections of the building are brick, while a large addition is concrete. It’s been recently restored and converted to apartments. They did a beautiful job restoring it, but it stands as a stark reminder of that transition in building material.

      Liked by 1 person

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    • Thanks Natalie. I was so impressed by the brick and stone work while walking along those paths. It’s just incredible workmanship.

      I’m glad you decided to join us. I love that lighthouse! Your other photos are beautiful.

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