Facilities Update

The campus at St. John’s Northwestern Academies is unlike any other area in the state of Wisconsin. Differing from many other nearby educational institutions, SJNA is a conglomerate of buildings and grounds that remain much like they were when built throughout the Academies’ 138-year existence. A person today can literally see the exact same landscape or building, depending on where they stand, that a St. John’s Military Academy cadet or instructor saw in August of 1945 as the Corps of Cadets celebrated the end of World War II.

While faculty and staff are all very fortunate to have the opportunity to live and work in a virtual “time machine,” the buildings and grounds themselves continue to age. This requires good stewardship of our beautiful campus, but more importantly it requires those in the Facilities and Grounds Department to be diligent in their work, ensuring the maintenance and upkeep of campus is their top priority. You can be assured that this is no small task and requires both hard work and financial commitment.

Over the past year, the Board of Trustees and Academy President, MG Paul Lima, have provided resources toward the infrastructural needs of SJNA. These updates include the installation of new and massive hot water heaters within multiple buildings, refurbishment and replacement of heating boilers, restoration of deteriorating exterior walls, repairs to leaky roofs, and more.

One of the largest projects included upgrades to the Gerber Pool with majority of the equipment and machinery that allows us to have a world-class indoor pool either being completely replaced or repaired. Many witnessed a relatively long period in which the pool was completely closed for use. During that time, the pool was just a big and empty tiled hole in the ground. In fact, the loss of the boilers and equipment also caused the closing of the entire Gerber Pool Annex (beyond the pool). However, following major work and renovations to the water treatment and heating system of the building, SJNA students are now able to once again enjoy use of the entire building and a refreshing swim in the pool!

As referenced above, many of the roofs throughout campus were addressed. One of the more noteworthy projects involved the oldest building on campus, Old Boys Memorial Hall. Because of the unique design of the roof, this repair took on a special set of circumstances. The roofer also thoughtfully included cooper sheaths to place over the peaks of each apex that are clearly visible from downtown Delafield and provide an excellent accessory to an already iconic building.

It has been some time since this much attention and focus has been given to these historic grounds. Many more projects are underway, and many more are still to be planned. With your continued help and support, St. John’s Northwestern Academies can continue to restore our rich and outstanding shared history for future generations. BEFORE

AFTER

Before and after photos of Old Boys Memorial Hall