Businesses, Organizations Celebrate

Special Years in Operation

Meadville Tribune

Celebrating an anniversary has taken on a special

meaning for many businesses and organizations.

Through perseverance and hard work, many

Crawford County companies were able to reach their
next milestone years, whether that be a fifth, 30th or,
in one case, a 170th anniversary.

These are the stories of those businesses and organizations,

how they got started, how they grew and adapted over time,
and how they feel reaching their next big year.

SETON CATHOLIC
SCHOOL: 170 years
When the St. Agatha congregation in
Meadville founded its parochial school
in 1852, it was one of a number of
Catholic schools open in Meadville.
Now, 170 years later, St. Agatha’s
successor, Seton Catholic School, finds
itself the only school of its kind left in
the area.
“It’s amazing, really,” said Jamie
Longo, former director of advancement
at Seton, when asked about the school
reaching 170, ”and to know that out of
all the Catholic schools that were in this
area, in Crawford County, we’re the last
one.”
Seton is actually the result of two
of those Catholic schools combining.
The aforementioned St. Agatha school
merged with the school of the St. Brig-
id parish in 1972. The St. Brigid school
was founded 1869.
Over the years, the two schools, and
eventually the combined school, have
seen plenty of changes. Neither St.
Agatha nor St. Brigid schools were in
their original building by the time the
merger came about, with the former
notably being on its third after renova-
SHANNON ROAE/MEADVILLE TRIBUNE
tions in the 1950s. The final St. Agatha
school serves as the structure which
would become host to Seton. Seton Catholic School is the only school of its kind left in the area. Jamie Longo
“They held classes in the gymnasium (left) is the former director of advancement and Christine Hess is the principal.
while they tore down the middle of the

Milestones 2022/2023 FOUNDATIONS 19

2022 Foundations 56 pages.indd 19 6/9/22 4:31 PM