A Hilltop Heritage

Much has changed on the hilltop since the Benedictines from New Jersey purchased the first parcel of land in 1889 for what would become Saint Anselm College. The school founded initially to educate young men for "the sacred ministry and for the learned professions or for business pursuits" would open its doors to women students in a newly created Nursing program in the early 1950s and later become co-educational in the early 1970s. Expansion of the college's academic programs and strategic growth in buildings for curricular and extracurricular needs has facilitated the increase of the student population from 110 in 1893 to 2,000 today.

While the campus’ land has grown and its use has shifted from agricultural to educational, there is one constant—the Benedictines. Their stable presence is manifest throughout the campus from the classroom to the Abbey Church to the cemetery behind the monastery. Across the generations of students who have called this college home, the Benedictines have had a unique role and place in this hilltop setting.

The aerial photograph of campus facing west was taken after 1928.

This historical walking tour is meant to highlight the changes in the landscape by juxtaposing current satellite imagery with historical photographs. With the changing landscape comes the impermanence of structures. The attempt here is to re-imagine this landscape through photographs and other records.

The tour was developed from historical walking tours which have been a feature of Alumni Reunion for the past few years. Segments presented here were initially created for the " Saint Anselm College 125th Anniversary Historic Campus Walking Tour " booklet.

NOTE: This is a virtual historical walking tour of the campus of Saint Anselm College. On campus, all buildings, facilities, and grounds should be viewed from an appropriate and safe distance. This tour includes pins on a current map of where the photograph was likely taken, not the location of depicted buildings or sites. Many sites are now extinct, inaccessible, or obscured by contemporary structures.

Before there was a college, there was an idea. The first bishop of the Diocese of Manchester, Bishop Denis M. Bradley, wanted a parish to serve the German immigrants working in Manchester's textile mills. As he indicated at the first commencement exercises in 1894, the bishop also wanted a Catholic college that "will soon come to be regarded as one of the institutions of learning which the Church in the United States can point with great pride." He needed a religious community with an ability to speak German and with a reputation in teaching. The bishop knew that the Benedictine order would be the right fit.

In 1886, Bishop Bradley invited the Benedictines of Saint Mary's Abbey in Newark, New Jersey, to establish a parish and college in the Diocese of Manchester. While the first abbot rejected the invitation, the second abbot, Abbot Hilary Pfraengle, O.S.B., agreed and sent Fr. Sylvester Joerg, O.S.B., to found Saint Raphael the Archangel Parish in 1888 on the west side of Manchester.

From this foundation, plans were made to secure land for the construction of a college. Bishop Bradley assisted Abbot Hilary in locating suitable property. Three potential sites were evaluated: one near Lake Massabesic, one near the Merrimack River, and one in Goffstown on a hilltop overlooking the city of Manchester. This last site consisted of over 50 acres and included a house and farm. In July 1889, the Benedictines of Saint Mary's Abbey purchased this property. They felt that the location was close enough to the city for supplies but adequately distanced in the countryside to feel distinct. As described in the Prospectus of St. Anselm's College and Seminary from 1893, the college is "situated one half mile from city limits, and about two miles from the Passenger depot, sufficiently near for all necessary purposes, yet effectually removed from the noise and distractions of city life."

On August 1, 1889, the monks were incorporated in the state as the Order of Saint Benedict of New Hampshire. Fundraising would commence shortly thereafter. With setbacks, the college would not open until 1893.

In 1890, the abbot sent Fr. Hugo Paff, O.S.B., to help raise funds and oversee the construction of the college building. Here is the story.

The decision to rebuild was swift. The diary of E.C.H. Kimball, a neighbor, provides many important details lacking in other sources. In an entry for February 20, 1892, Kimball notes that Abbot Hilary and Father Hugo arrived and met with the contractors. On February 25, Kimball records that "Fr. Hugo called upon us today and told us [...] that the college will be rebuilt as soon as possible, that the boilers will be placed in a building removed from the college [and] that the building will be completed by Jan 1, [18]93." The Kimball diary also provides an important detail that the contractor began tearing down the walls on March 1st.

If the decision to rebuild was quick, there were many other details that needed attention. In a letter dated March 30, Abbot Hilary writes to Father Hugo suggesting to "Be sure to plant fruit trees, etc. this Spring. I don't know whether Fall is a good time for planting up there, but in some localities it is preferred to Spring. Perhaps it were well to plant during both seasons."

Questions? Please contact the  Saint Anselm College Archives .