Name/Title
Robert Prevost (Pope Leo) at Felt MansionEntry/Object ID
2025.01.19Scope and Content
Newspaper clippings about then Robert Prevost's time at the St. Augustine Seminary High School in Laketown Township.
1. "Robert Prevost Is Commended" Newspaper clippings from the Holland Sentinel 7 Oct 1972.
2. "St. Augustine Seminary High School reunion" Images and captions (no story) from the Holland Sentinel 26 June 2013.Context
"The Saint Augustine Seminary, a prep school for Catholics, was at the Felt Mansion and Shore Acres Park in Laketown Township, between Holland and Saugatuck. Archives of the Holland Evening Sentinel from October 1972 reference Robert Prevost as a senior at Saint Augustine Seminary High School. The Felt Estate confirmed he graduated in 1973. The Holland Sentinel covered a reunion for the school in 2013 and said Prevost was there.
The estate was built by inventor Dorr Felt in 1925 and bought by the Augustinian order in 1949 for use as a school, with the goal of educating between 50 and 60 students at a time who were interested in becoming priests. The mansion included the dorm and chapel and a garage was converted to host classes and include a library. By 1965, the Felt Estate said, the school was serving 180 students and had a waiting list of 400. But interest later waned and enrollment was below 70 by the mid-1970s. The school closed in 1977. The state bought the land and Laketown Township bought it [the mansion] for $1 in 1996. The mansion is now a venue and museum."
Source: https://www.woodtv.com/news/allegan-county/new-pope-attended-catholic-school-in-west-michigan/
by: Rachel Van Gilder, Josh Sanchez. Updated: May 8, 2025 / 08:41 PM EDT
The St. Augustine Seminary High School was built on the grounds west of the Felt Mansion. The building was repurposed to be a State of Michigan correctional facility around 1987. The prison was closed in 1992 and the building was demolished. Carved stones* from high school still lay on the ground near a storage building on the southwest corner of the disc golf course. Robert Prevost was elected Pope Leo XIV on May 8, 2025.
*See organization profile for the Felt Estate.Collection
Churches and religionCataloged By
Winthers, SallyAcquisition
Accession
2025.01Acquisition Method
Found in CollectionNotes
Information emailed to Sally Winthers from Richard Donovan on 8 May 2025.Dimensions
Dimension Description
digital item onlyLocation
* Untyped Location
Digital data in CatalogItRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Felt Estate Historic Home and Garden, Prevost, RobertCreate Date
May 9, 2025Update Date
August 15, 2025
