A Brief History of Celeste/St. Agatha's Conservatory
St. Agatha’s Conservatory of Music and Art was the first of its kind in the state, inspiring generations of Twin Cities students with a quality arts education, and providing a philanthropic base for a metropolitan area now recognized as a thriving arts center. The school was conceived by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Paul Province, and founded in 1884.
Prosperous St. Paul families enrolled their children in art, music, and kindergarten classes. Under the guidance of Mother Seraphine (a.k.a. Ella Ireland, sister of Archbishop John Ireland), the original conservatory generated enough money to purchase a wood frame house near Cedar and Exchange Streets by 1886. Mother Seraphine then charged her cousin, Sister Celeste Howard, with running the school and convent. A two-story addition followed, and additional renovations turning a barn into classrooms in 1898. Vocal Music and Music Expression departments were added in 1901. By 1910, the sisters embarked on their largest project yet—a new, six-story building with a connected chapel, at the corner of Exchange and Cedar (now The Celeste St. Paul Hotel+Bar).
The new $150,000 structure was designed in the Beaux-Arts style, featuring a rare, curving double staircase welcoming visitors from the main entrance on Exchange Street. The brown brick exterior was ornamented by a pressed copper cornice between the fourth and fifth stories, and smaller cornices above the sixth story. A wing of similar style and ornamentation housed a convent chapel at the rear of the building, used by the sisters living on the top floors.
Administrative offices, two parlors, study rooms, a library, community room, and infirmary were located on the first floor of the school. Oak and maple woodwork, plaster moldings, and marble baseboards remain throughout the first level. Each parlor features a brick fireplace with porcelain tiles hand-painted by the sisters, and glass chandeliers. Art classrooms were located on the second floor, with a chapel entrance at the rear of the building. The remaining floors were used by the sisters as a convent. A kitchen, dining room, community hall, and dormitory-style rooms were located on the upper floors, self-contained from the school. The sixth floor featured a rare loggia with large rectangular openings and iron grillwork railings - the sisters were able to relax (and roller skate!) in privacy there while enjoying warm summer evenings high above the city.
At its peak, St. Agatha’s had an enrollment of 1,100 students in its art, music, dance, and drama programs. Classes included piano, violin, banjo, organ, mandolin, guitar, music history and theory, harmony, voice culture, counterpoint, elocution, languages, painting, drawing, porcelain painting, drama, and dance. St. Agatha’s offered a competitive curriculum and several degree programs. Graduation often facilitated acceptance at schools like Julliard and the Eastman School of Music.
The sisters were encouraged to study abroad, often earning advanced degrees themselves. St. Agatha’s favored religious Renaissance art as a model for instruction - three sisters from the school were sent to Munich and Florence to sharpen their skills. Archbishop John Ireland supported furthering their education, sending letters of introduction to facilitate their travels. Between 1908 and 1910, sisters Marie-Teresa, Anysia, and Sophia replicated more than 300 paintings to send back to St. Agatha’s. These replicas served as an important and early contribution to art education in St. Paul and Minneapolis. School groups came to study their techniques. The copies also served as a source of revenue for the school - affluent St. Paul residents often commissioned reproductions of famous Renaissance art.
The Sisters of St. Joseph chose to reinvest their income into the development of educational and health care facilities like St. Joseph’s Academy and St. Joseph’s Hospital in St. Paul, St. Mary’s Hospital in Minneapolis, the College of St. Catherine, and some thirty-seven parochial schools across southern Minnesota.
Enrollment at St. Agatha’s and nearby parochial schools declined as the population moved out of downtown in the 1930s. By the 1940s, most schools offered their own art and music courses. After nearly eight decades as the premier school of art and music in the Twin Cities, St. Agatha’s Conservatory of Music and Art closed in 1962.
26 Exchange Street served as an office building before being reimagined as The Celeste St. Paul Hotel+Bar in November of 2019. Former classrooms and dormitories are now elegant guest rooms, including a stunning stained-glass adorned honeymoon suite in the former Sanctuary. The Chapel, once used for the sister’s daily devotional, is a bright, welcoming space serving guests breakfast and hosting events and weddings. One of the original parlor rooms, with the original hand-painted fireplaces, now serves as a classy bar with heavenly-themed drink creations.
The Celeste Hotel’s private art collection includes 4 paintings created by the Sisters in the early 1900’s. The Annunciation was started in Florence, Italy, in 1910, completed in 1912, and shipped home. Joseph & Jesus, and Mary, Queen of The Earth were originally plastered to the walls on the 2nd floor hallway leading to the Chapel. All paintings were removed, cleaned, and restored during the Hotel renovation by Museum Services of Minneapolis at a cost of nearly $40,000. Along with the stunning architecture, they represent the heart and soul of the building.
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- The Annunciation displayed across from reception in the Grand Hall.
- The Assumption displayed at the end of the Grand Hall.
- Joseph & Jesus displayed in the Chapel.
- Mary, Queen of The Earth displayed in the Chapel.
- The Nun / Priest displayed in Grand Hall elevator lobby - Artist Karen Ritz. 2019
- Sister Celestine displayed in reception lobby - Artist Karen Ritz. 2019 Commissioned by the Hotel.
- Madonna & Child displayed above the fireplace in lounge - Acquired from The Sisters of St Frances in Dubuque Iowaa
Visit Rebound Hospitality’s Sister Properties:
www.desluxhotel.com – Des Lux Hotel + Bar – Des Moines, IA 515-288-5800
www.hotelwinn.com – Hotel Winneshiek Hotel, Bar & Event Center - Decorah, IA 563-382-4164
