St. Mary's School (Knoxville, Illinois)

St. Mary's School (formerly, Ewing Female University; 1868-) was an American parochial girls' school located in Knoxville, Illinois. It opened in April 1868, in the building of the Ewing Female University, erected about ten years before. For lack of endowment, that institution had been compelled to discontinue its work, and the property was transferred to the Episcopal diocese of Illinois. Of the fifteen trustees, ten were appointed to represent the diocese of Illinois and five to represent Knox county. The Rev. Charles Wesley Leffingwell became the founder and rector of St. Mary's, Mrs. Leffingwell being the matron and Miss Nancy Menedy Hitchcock the vice-principal. Dr. Leffingwell continued for 52 years as rector of the school; Mrs. Leffingwell was matron for 40 years; Miss Hitchcock was vice-principal for over 25 years. This institution was entirely rebuilt and refurnished in 1883, at a cost of over US$100,000. Chapel, cloister, and other improvements were added.

St. Mary's was a school for young women who wanted to continue their education two or three years beyond the course of the high school. It was a school home where young women systematically trained for the duties of becoming a wife and mother, where they are encouraged to recognize, and where they were required to prepare for, their present and future obligations. There was also a thorough preparatory high school course and an affiliated institution, St. Martha's School for Younger Girls, for girls up to age 13.

More than 20 states were represented by the teachers and students in attendance. The alumnae were resident in many countries of the world, including Alaska, Mexico, Canada, on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, in Europe, Australia, Hawaii, the Philippines, Guam, Japan, China, Ceylon and the West Indies.