In the 1840’s, most settlers in the Wilmette area were from the region of Trier, Germany. They were farmers and predominantly Catholic. The roots of St. Joseph Church began in 1843 in a little log cabin chapel just north of Lake Avenue and Ridge Road. The parish flourished and the first St. Joseph Parish School was organized in the mid 1850’s by lay teachers. St. Joseph Church and School became the center of the social and community scene.

In September of 1877, the Sister of St. Francis came from Milwaukee to staff the school. They remained at St. Joseph School for more than one hundred years!

To accommodate an increasing population, a larger frame church was built to replace the log chapel in 1850. In 1869, St. Joseph parish built its first permanent, brick church.

In 1899, St. Joseph’s pastor was Father William Netstraeter. In addition to serving as pastor of St. Joseph Church and mayor of Wilmette for three terms, he created a local community high school – New Trier High School!

After Father Netstraeter, Msgr. John Neumann became the pastor of St. Joseph Church. He made enormous contributions to the Church and School. In 1934 the nation was in the grip of the Great Depression. Even so, Msgr. Neumann was concerned that St. Joseph desperately needed to replace its school. He raised money and oversaw the building of the current St. Joseph School. In addition to the school, he oversaw the building of the entire parish plant – the Church and rectory, the convent and the annex next to the Church. President Roosevelt even sent a letter commending the people of St. Joseph for their foresight and courage because the Church, School and Convent were the only public buildings constructed in the Midwest that year during the depression.

In 1981, the Sisters of St. Francis, who had staffed St. Joseph School for more than one hundred years, were not able to continue their service to the parish. This was also the end of the post World War II “baby boom”. The dramatic demographic shifts in the population meant that there were far fewer children. Along with several public schools in the village, St. Joseph School was forced to shut its door in the spring of 1986.

The school was closed for ten years and the vacated school building was a constant reminder. In 1996, under the guidance of St. Joseph pastor, Father Kane, St. Joseph School once again opened its doors for educational purposes, serving as a preschool. The Sisters of Christian Charity, who were living across Ridge Road at Mallinckrodt College, moved into the St. Joseph Convent in 1997 and began assisting St. Joseph Church and School. The Sisters are a continuing presence today. In 1998, the school building was completely renovated and upgraded. After the renovation, the school opened to serve children in preschool through eighth grade. In 2003, Pope John Paul II appointed Father Kane as Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago and he was ordained in March 2003.

In June 2003, St. Joseph School held its first 8th grade graduation ceremony in over 17 years with five graduates!

Today, the halls of St. Joseph School are active, vibrant and full of life and spirit with over 320 students in preschool through eighth grade. The school continues to grow with current and new families. The school remains a beautiful building and perfectly blends modern technology with historical elements remaining from the 1930’s. The modern facility supports a rich curriculum that integrates proven traditional methods with the latest educational best practices. Students are provided with a full academic program and a broad array of after-school athletic and enrichment programs.