Blees Military Academy
Blees Military Academy is a military school founded in 1899 in Missouri, built as a three-story Romanesque stone structure designed to resist fire. The campus included the main academic hall with classrooms and dormitory rooms, a gymnasium with a swimming pool, a shooting range, and a large assembly hall for events.
The academy was founded in 1899 by Colonel Frederick W. Blees, a businessman from Germany who focused on providing quality education for boys. After Blees died in 1906, the school faced financial difficulties and closed in 1911, while its buildings were later used starting in 1915 by a sanatorium for nervous disorders.
The academy was a place where young men gathered and built a strong sense of belonging to their peers. The school regularly organized social events like dances, theatrical performances, and music shows that brought students and the local community together.
The site is now easily accessible as part of local history and is maintained by the community historical society. Visitors can walk through the old buildings and get a sense of what daily life was like during its time as a school.
The school was proud of its athletic tradition, especially in American football and baseball, with players who later went on to play for Major League teams like the St. Louis Browns. These sports achievements shaped the academy's identity as much as its academic programs.
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