Old St Francis School

A metal sculpture outside old St Francis School

Transformation, adaptation and clever interior decorating! That’s what happens when an old school gives way to a newer school, built here in Bend and opened in 2000, as part of my parish. The old school, which opened in 1936 and closed in 2000 was sold to a corporation that transformed it into a hotel, restaurant, movie theater, spa and an all-around historic attraction, which finally got my attention to discover a little bit of its history. 

So a few days ago, I went around the entire complex when I thought everyone was still sleeping at 6 AM, and started taking some photos of the stenciling and sculptures on the outside of the complex. Lo and behold, at 6:15 AM, one of the employees spotted me and after introducing myself as the pastor of Saint Francis, she gave me the grand tour of what is now McMenamins. These are just a few of the photos I took on the outside. To see more historic photos as well as historic information, check our parish blog at www.stfrancisbend.blogspot.com which will be downloaded over the next few weeks.

The Old St Francis School back in the 1940s

The Spa inside the hotel, owned by McMenamins