History
St. Aloysius Academy

St. Aloysius Academy, a private, Catholic elementary school for boys K to 8, was established in West Chester, Pennsylvania in 1895 by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The number of students enrolled soon exceeded the space available in West Chester and the Wootton Estate in Bryn Mawr was the perfect place to move the boarding school. The original occupant and builder of the estate was George Childs, owner of the Philadelphia Public Ledger. Later the property was bequeathed to his good friends, George and Mary Drexel (George being a cousin of the now St. Katharine Drexel). After the deaths of the Drexels in the 1940s, 48 acres of land and five buildings were purchased at auction by the Immaculate Heart Sisters in 1949. The Sisters discontinued the boarding school in June 1997 but continued the day school for boys.

Located in the Main Line area of suburban Philadelphia, the Academy is accessible to students living in Philadelphia as well as Chester, Montgomery, and Delaware Counties. The modern school facility includes a large All Purpose Room (Katharine Drexel Hall) where assemblies and religious activities take place, a multi-media center housing a computer lab and state-of-the-art library, science lab, remedial reading room, art room, chapel, and classrooms. The original school building now houses a large Music Center and a small gymnasium. A full size gymnasium with a stage area services the athletic and fine arts departments.

The beautiful 42 acre campus provides an extensive area for the sports program and outdoor play activities. The Wootton stables have been renovated to accommodate a pre-kindergarten and kindergarten Montessori Program for boys and girls. The original Gatehouse is now the IHM Educational Center offering tutoring services to students in the surrounding area. The Wootton Mansion is the residence of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary while also serving as the IHM Conference Center.