The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1888-01-13
CONCERT-PENCIL SKETCH OF
KEMPER HALL.

Last Tuesday evening Kemper Hall
was the scene of an enjoyable concert,
the proceeds to be used in building a
parsonage for the Hall. The numbers
on the program were we'll rendered by
Prof. K. o. Heyer, of Racine; Miss
Hearding, Mr.. Max L. Laue and Prof.
Bach, of Milwaukee, professional must
clans, and Miss Walker, violinist, one of
the pupils of the seminary. The night
was very cold, and, perhaps, for this
reason, the attendance was not as large
as had been expected. Compositions
from such composers as Rossipi, De
Beriot, Gottschalk, Helmund and others
were listened to with rapt attention by
an audience that evidently knew good
thing in music when they heard it.
Kemper Hall was opened October 4th,
1871, as private school for young
ladies, and commenced its existence
with only 10 pupils, ten of which num-
Der were boarders. The report of 1884
showed a large increase in the number
of scholars, the record giving 70 pupils,
IS of whom were boarders. The Hall
now accommodates over 100 pupils, 20
of whom are boarders. Many applicants
for admission to this favored and now
famous seminary have been turned
away, the Hall not being large enough for
their accommodation. The building is
as complete an establishment as any,
thing of the kind in the country, and
many families of wealth, and some of
distinction, have sent their girls to this
institution to be educated. Perhaps the
old Hall has had within the confines of
its four walls more devotion to the tenets
of the Episcopal faith than any known
institution of the kind in the United
States. The control of the seminary is
in the hands of the Episcopal sisterhood
of st. Mary, and the pride they take in
| its prosperity justifies the saying that
nothing succeeds like success" The
Hall was named in honor of that chris
tan gentleman and first Episcopal mis-
sionary bishop of Wisconsin, Jackson
Kemper, D. d.
The building is quaint affair, en-
vironed by frs and shrubbery, and re-
Winding one of a picture of an old
baronial castle in the feudal days ol
merrie England" The observatory Of
the Hall overlooks the blue waters Of
Lake Michigan, where the bright stars
of midnight
CHASED within its glows,''
and it's location barring the encroach
ment of the lake) is everything tina
could be desired. The Sisters of St
Mary have had to battle with an indebt
edness of about fifteen thousand dollars
which has been greatly reduced by tn,
assistance of the clergy of the Episcopa
diocese of Wisconsin, by the .exertion
of Mrs. Julius H. Kimball, and more es
pecially by the executive talent and care
full attention to the business affairs o
the institution exhibited by Sister Mar
lgarct Clare.
The reporter was ushered through
winding hallway, then across an opel
court into Armitage Hall, an addition t
+ the old building, and SO named to pei
petuate the memory of one who in hi
life time had always taken deep inter
est in everything that concerned KEN
per Hall. The new hall is severel
,, plain and has an air of neatness that be
fits the object for which it was bull
, The absence of carpets in the rooms vii
tied by the reporter was noticeable, an
: gave to them an austere look, withou
, detracting from the general appearance
: Of good taste and comfort that pervade
; in them. The hall has most all of tn
modern appliances of convenience an
. comfort, except electric light. Heate
! by steam, lit by gas, and with library
many hundreds of volumes, and an a
! most phenomenal success as an educ
i tional seminary, its managers can ce
j tainly look forward to the future with +
: fear of failure.