The Mother of God School

The Mother of God School was across the street from the Church.  The building you see here was dedicated on September 9, 1906, and was designed by Samuel Hanneford and Sons. Hanneford is famous as the architect of Music Hall in Cincinnati. There’s a little more about him here. This building cost $130,00. It contained ten classrooms, a teachers' conference room, and a third-floor auditorium seating 900. The auditorium was described in the dedication booklet  "as perfectly equipped as any theater, and richly frescoed. It has a place for the musicians, four boxes and large gallery."

The dedication program further notes:

"The basement is given over to the men of the parish. Here there are large bath rooms - shower and tub baths - a gymnasium, ninety-two feet long and over fifty feet wide, a splendid reading and billiard room and a large society hall. These attractive features were added to the building for the purpose of giving young men the advantages which they claim are provided for them by the YMCA. These quarters are open to all the Catholic men of the city . . . There is also in the basement a good-sized kitchen, which is supplied with the most costly gas range ... and other necessary utensils. Adjoining is a cold-storage room, where the eatables can be preserved, when entertainments are being given . . . The ladies have their club room, 62 by 29 feet, on the second floor, frescoed in a subdued green color. It is most handsomely carpeted and furnished. The St. Gregorius Singing Society, the choir of Mother of God, which is under the direction of Rev. Henry Tappert, has a large room for its practice - the music room. It is frescoed in pink with border ornaments of different musical instruments; fine pink portieres, carpet and seventy opera chairs. It is, indeed, the finest equipped rehearsal hall that can be seen."

Covington Catholic High School (external link) moved to here in 1925, and stayed until January, 1955 when they left for Park Hills. Villa Madonna, now Thomas More College, (external link) used parts of the building through 1967, until they left for Edgewood.  Mother of God itself had stopped using the building as a school in 1962, and in 1971, forced to decide financially between saving the Church, or the School, elected to demolish the school.