Nerinx Hall began with three pioneer women, Mary Rhodes, Ann Havern and Christina Stuart, who founded the
Sisters of Loretto in 1812. The Nerinx Hall name is a tribute to Father
Charles Nerinckx's work. As the country moved west, so did the Sisters of Loretto. From frontier Kentucky into the mid- and southwest United States, the Sisters continued their involvement in Catholic education. In 1924, Nerinx Hall began educating young women in the Lockwood family home in
Webster Groves, Missouri, graduating its first class in May 1925. Over the years the school has grown in enrollment and physical facilities. Nerinx added a gym in 1947 and moved into the current red brick building in 1954. In 1993, Nerinx Hall returned to Lockwood House where the school had been founded. This historic home now houses a classroom and the bookstore, as well as departmental and administrative offices. In 1996, a new physics lab, media center, three classrooms and an elevator were added. The chemistry lab was also updated, and the library was expanded and renovated. In 2002, Nerinx Hall realized plans to "go green", with a biology lab renovation that included a new greenhouse for plant experimentation. In 2007, the school completed its largest expansion since the construction of the current school building in 1954. The 375-seat Heagney Theatre and the Knaup Family Student Commons were added to the campus at this time. A two-story classroom addition also brought a new music classroom and art lab spaces. The athletic field was also expanded and an artificial turf surface was installed. In 2012, Sr. Barbara Roche, SL announced her intention to retire after serving as the school's president for the past 26 years. The Board of Trustees named John Gabriel, principal of
Ursuline Academy (New Orleans), as the school's first lay-president effective for the 2013-2014 school year. ==Purpose==