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History of the Marianist Retreat & Conference Center

The property now known as the Marianist Retreat & Conference Center and MaryCliff has a recorded history traced back as far as the Spanish Colonial Government, prior to the Louisiana Purchase in 1804.  Nothing is known of the specific native peoples who inhabited the property prior to this time, but the Osage and the Shawnee tribes were the most prominent groups living in this densely wooded region.

In the 18th Century, Louis Courtois, Jr., acquired a Spanish land grant of 6,002.5 acres which included the town site of Glencoe (now part of Wildwood, Missouri), the land along the bluffs of the Meramec River, and much of what is now the town of Eureka (U.S. Survey 3206.)  The Marianist Retreat & Conference Center and MaryCliff properties were part of this grant, however there is no record of any Courtois settling in the area during this time.

The land was subdivided and changed hands several times through the McPherson family, Christy & Parks (a trading company), the Conant, Lewis, Sanderson, and Yeatman families through the 1800s.  In 1891 Alfred Carr, an executive with the the Missouri-Pacific Railroad Company,  and Angelica Yeatman Carr, daughter of notable St. Louisan James E. Yeatman took ownership and built the first form of the house which is now MaryCliff.   In 1896, the house was passed to their son, Peyton Carr and his wife Josephine Kehlor and was used as a summer home for many years.  In 1943, the family sold the property to the Brewers' and Malsters' Benevolent Association.  Under utilized as a club house, they kept the land only seven years, when it was sold to the Society of Mary in 1950.
 

Priests and brothers of the Marianist Order have resided on the property ever since.  Marycliff (nick-named "The Hill") housed the Second Novitiate from 1951-1966,  the Provincialate from 1966-1974, and the St. Louis Province Novitiate 1973-77 (the latter two with joint occupancy 1973-1974). 

The Marianist Apostolic Center (MAC) was built in 1967 under the direction of Brother Gene Meyerpeter, who also served as its first president.  Father Gus Biehl was the chaplain, and second president; and Brother Ken Yung was the chef who developed the famous home-made bread and pizza recipe.  Since 1991,  the property & operation has been titled the Marianist Retreat & Conference Center.  It has served over one hundred thousand grade school and high school students who have attended their class retreats guided by MR&CC's team of professional youth ministers.  Thousands of adults, both lay and religious, have also made Marycliff and MR&CC their retreat home with our directed and preached retreats. Groups from many different regions of the country and from diverse cultures and faiths have found a welcoming, spiritually-rich, and naturally beautiful dwelling to rest and nourish their souls. 
 

Many thanks to Father Joseph Uvietta and Brother Fred Hausch;  information was also attained from Glencoe:  From the Beginning by Al Foster, 1983