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History
Louisville's Portland & West End Neighborhoods
An important part of the history of Louisville, Kentucky is wrapped in its small neighborhood communities of Portland and the West End. As the latter name suggests, these communities are nestled in the western-most part of Louisville. If you were to look on a map, the area is the small "knob" whose shape is defined by the Ohio River.
Portland's history actually pre-dates that of the city of Louisville. Portland was founded because of the need to traverse the powerful, impassable falls of the Ohio River. Initially, there was one way around - portage. "Portage" formed the basis for "Portland."
Portaging meant a ship had to remove all of its goods, load them onto carriages and transport them overland to avoid the falls. This commerce gave rise to the bustling town of Portland. Many people, in the early years it was mostly families with Irish and German heritage, settled here to participate in trades associated with river businesses. Advances in river navigation (canals and locks) meant that there was no longer the need for the more time-consuming portages.
Catholic School History in Portland & West End
In Portland and the West End there is a rich and deep – yet also difficult history for it’s Catholic schools.
The first elementary school in Portland, Our Lady, was started in 1857 and was followed by St. Anthony in 1866 and St. Cecilia in 1876. In the West End, three elementary schools, beginning with St. Augustine, operated a total of 184 years: St. Augustine (1871-1967), Holy Cross (1904-1973), and Immaculate Heart of Mary (1954-1973). Holy Cross later became St. Martin de Porres.
The enrollment between 1965 and 1970 at Our Lady School decreased from 309 to 175. During that same time, the enrollment at Saint Anthony School and St. Cecilia’s decreased from 188 to 78 and from 441 to 281 respectively. The numbers above indicate that in the three Portland-area schools over five years (1965-70), the combined enrollment fell 43%, from 938 to 534.
Portland Catholic schools experienced a major shift in 1971. At that time, Our Lady, St. Anthony and St. Cecilia consolidated their schools into one and named it Community Catholic School. CCS was located on the grounds of the former St. Cecilia School, enabling them to use the former schools facilities. Each of the three parishes continued to exist independently, i.e. only the schools were consolidated.
A host of challenges prompted the 1971 consolidation. Most significant include the declining enrollment, as more and more people left the Portland neighborhood or were unable to afford Catholic school tuition. In addition the decline in women religious, who were at that time the primary teachers and administrators of the schools. With this decrease came the increasing use of laypersons resulting in an increase of salaries and operational costs.
From 1971-2003, CCS continued to experience declining enrollment as the makeup of the Portland neighborhood continued to shift away from persons who chose to and could afford to send their children to Catholic school. The corresponding financial challenges continued to mount. Perhaps the final blow to the CCS – the last remaining Catholic elementary school in all of west Louisville – was the Archdiocese of Louisville’s 2003 financial settlement in the clergy sexual abuse crisis. The settlement required the Archdiocese to pay over $28 million and, due to subsequent budgetary cutbacks, it was decided that CCS no longer would receive Archdiocesan support and would have to close.
This left two educational options available to families in Portland and the West End: enroll their children in the Jefferson County, KY public school system or find another Catholic school.
Catholic Education History
Catholic schools represent hope for underserved communities, whether in a rural or inner city setting. Since their establishment in the early 19th Century, Catholic schools in the United States have developed a distinguished reputation for enhancing communities and providing excellent education for children. In the earliest days, these schools were located in places where Catholic immigrants settled – usually in poor neighborhoods.
These schools, run by priests, brothers, sisters and lay persons, were an extremely important part of a community’s fabric. They not only educated the youth, but provided the forum for families to come together, for children to be formed in their faith, and a way to pass on the wonderful Catholic-Christian practice of service to one’s neighbor.
Catholic schools in the Louisville area are part of this rich legacy of excellence in faith formation, student development, academic preparation and community enrichment. Catholic schools are a part of the very fabric of Louisville.
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