The educational history of Nazareth Hall extends from 1928 to 1982. The nuns of the Ursuline Convent of the Sacred Heart, Toledo, Ohio responded to a need for a Catholic boy’s boarding school in Northwest Ohio in the 1920s. In 1926 the nuns purchased 400 acres of land approximately five miles east of Grand Rapids, Ohio, and shortly after arranged for the construction of the building.

The Ursuline Nuns secured a loan of $500,000 to purchase 400 acres of land from John H. Lincoln of Bowling Green, Ohio, and Clyde Powell of Deshler, Ohio. Bishop Samuel Stritch gave his approval for construction of a school and named the property “Ladyglen on the Maumee.” While Bishop Stritch promoted the concept of a boarding school for boys, the planning, labor, and financial responsibilities were those of the Ursuline Order.

In April of 1927, Louis H. Lewandowski, a civil engineer, plotted the property. Lawrence Bellman of the firm of Mills, Rhines, Bellman and Nordhoff designed the building. Mother Marguerita Horan, Superior of the Nuns, carefully supervised the construction of the building through the summer and fall months of 1927. Bishop Stritch laid the cornerstone on November 25, 1927.
On December 20, 1927, the nuns arranged for the bell at one time located in the tower of the former Cherry Street Ursuline Convent to be placed in the tower of the new school. The bell had been purchased in 1879 and had been inscribed in Latin: “My name is: Sweet (toned) Bell of the Archangel Gabriel, Hail Mary.”

The building was opened for public visits on July 22, 1928. The statue of a Guardian Angel and Child was placed in the front of the school on August 26, 1928. Bishop Stritch dedicated the school on August 26, 1928, with the name he selected, “Nazareth Hall.” The curriculum provided the traditional program of learning which the Ursuline educators brought to Toledo in 1854. The Ohio State Code for elementary school education was adhered to. Art and music lessons were provided as part of a curriculum that dated back to 1876. The Nuns were educated and certified for teaching by the State of Ohio. The campus area provided recreational activities such as baseball, track, horseback riding, rowing, and swimming.

Boys between the ages of six and fourteen were eligible to enroll: the first class numbered 53 and came mainly from the Toledo area. As word spread about the excellent education provided by the Nuns, boys from distant places were registered to prepare for high school and further education.
The Nuns contracted the Daprato Statuary Company of Chicago to build a stone grotto in the knoll behind the school. The replica of the famous grotto of Lourdes, France was dedicated in August of 1929 and became an annual gathering place for pilgrimages honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In 1935, Sister Mary Borgia Drulard, third principal of Nazareth Hall, instituted a revolutionary change by incorporating a military format into the curriculum. The change received national attention. Teaching about or promoting war was never a part of that curriculum. The daily routine was adapted to a military format to build self-esteem and self-discipline among the cadets. Training in precision drills enabled the cadets to give performances. Professional military men stationed nearby became part-time instructors.

In the fifty-three year history of the school, the Ursuline Nuns taught 4,300 students at Nazareth Hall. Cultural changes and insurmountable expenses during the 1970’s brought the Ursuline Nuns to a painful decision, the closing of Nazareth Hall at the end of the 1982 school year. The character of the building and fruits of the Sisters’ educational program still prevail.