•  

    Our History

     

    The Academic Building of the Michigan Military was constructed in 1877 and was described in an 1891 publication as "one of the most complete school buildings in the West." The building still serves as an Academic Center for St. Mary's Preparatory. Among those who attended classes here were Edgar Rice Burroughs, author of Tarzan, and Frank Joslyn Baum, whose father wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. On June 1, 1909, the history of Michigan Military Academy at Orchard Lake came to an end with its sale by the Rogers family to Attorney Allen Campbell, who represented an unknown purchaser. The bid had been $24,000, subject to nodded indebtedness held by the Union Trust Company, and the widow's dower amounting to about $8,000. The final price came to $83,000 and the sale was completed on June 22, 1909, when Attorney Campbell handed the attorney for the Roger's Estate a check for $24,000.

     

    For a period of time, many had thought that the Jesuits had purchased the property; however, the rumor soon began that officers of the Polish Seminary in Detroit had been looking over the grounds, since their present quarters, in Detroit, had proven to be inadequate for the growing number of students.

     

    The only building to exist on the grounds prior to the founding of the Academy was "The Castle." Built-in 1858 by Judge Joseph Tarr Copeland upon his retirement from the Michigan Supreme Court, the ten-room house was converted into a hotel in 1872 with the addition of two wooden wings. The panic of 1873 killed the enterprise.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  •  

     

     

    At A Glance

    Our School:

    Founded 1885

    Location:

    Orchard Lake, Michigan

    Campus Size:

    Over 100 Acres

    Headmaster:

    Mr. Leonard Karschnia

    Grades:

    9-12

    Our Students:

    900 Students

    Student-Faculty Ratio:

    18:1

    College Scholarships:

    $9,700,000

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  •  

     

    WE ARE ST. MARY'S

     

    GOD

    We are a Catholic community that whole-heartedly values our faith and roles as servants to the Lord.

    FAMILY

    We celebrate the blessings of our talents in everything that we do - academically, spiritually, athletically, and through the many extracurricular activities that we offer.

    ST. MARY'S

    Our educational setting is like no other school in the state - our 136-year tradition on over 100-acre campus is rich in history and pristine beauty.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Campus Facilities

     

    "The Prep Building"

    broken image

     

    "The Prep Building II"

    Coming 2022

    A new state of the art classroom which will add an additional 20 classrooms and collaboration area to the St. Mary's campus.

    broken image

    Science Center

    Science Center with top notch Chemistry, Biology and Engineering labs

    broken image

    Library & Academic Center

    Immaculate library with picturesque views of Orchard Lake. Our library is the largest high school library in the Midwestern United States.

    broken image

    St. Mary's Hockey Arena

    St. Mary’s Preparatory Athletic Complex, a $4 million ice arena and banquet center which has an NHL regulation-sized rink.

    broken image

    St. John Paul II

    Shrine Chapel

    The Shrine Chapel of Our Lady of Orchard Lake, located in the center of the property to symbolize the heart of the campus, was designed to serve as a worship place for the entire Orchard Lake Schools community (all-school Mass is held here each Wednesday and Friday).

    broken image

    Preparatory Dormitory

    "St. Alburtus Hall"

    Renovated 2013

    broken image