Hillcrest Lutheran Academy
Encyclopedia
Hillcrest Lutheran Academy is a private Christian
junior high
and boarding high school
in Fergus Falls, Minnesota
. Established in 1916, Hillcrest has a strong affiliation with the Church of the Lutheran Brethren of America
. Hillcrest is sometimes referred to as HLA or the "Castle on the Hill."
Hillcrest's mission is "to provide a quality academic, social and extracurricular experience which challenges students to think critically and examine topics through the lens of God’s Word."
Hillcrest holds accreditation
as a non-public high school through the Minnesota Nonpublic School Accrediting Association (MNSAA).
and sandstone
building, located on a hilltop overlooking the city, is in the Romanesque Revival style and was designed by Twin Cities architect
s Omeyer and Thori, who also designed educational buildings at St. Olaf College
, courthouse
s in Windom
and Ada
, and the E.J. Webber house and Ole Hagen's Autograph Block in Fergus Falls. Its construction, supervised by contractor John Lauritzen, required all of the brick masons available in the area. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
Park Region Luther College operated on the site until 1932, when the synod decided to concentrate its academic efforts on Concordia College
in Moorhead
. Three years later, the campus was sold to the Church of the Lutheran Brethren, which operates Hillcrest Academy.
Hillcrest served as the high school department of Lutheran Brethren Schools from its founding until 2003, when it was incorporated as a separate school directly under the Church of the Lutheran Brethren, with its own president and school board. HLA continues to share the campus with Lutheran Brethren Seminary
, the theological training institute of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren.
Danielsen Videregående Skole (Danielsen High School) in Bergen
, Norway
. Each year, some 25-30 Norwegian students attend Hillcrest as Juniors, providing a great cultural experience for the American students. In recent years, many Korean students have attended HLA as well, adding to the international flavor of the school, as well as upholding the strong tradition of mission that the Church of the Lutheran Brethren was founded upon.
, General Gaylord T. Gunhus, and Atlanta-based defense attorney Joseph Romond.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
junior high
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
and boarding high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Fergus Falls, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. Established in 1916, Hillcrest has a strong affiliation with the Church of the Lutheran Brethren of America
Church of the Lutheran Brethren of America
The Church of the Lutheran Brethren of America is a Lutheran denomination of Christians rooted in a spiritual awakening at the turn of the 20th century. A spiritual revival swept through a large part of the Midwestern United States in the 1890s. Lutherans who were influenced by this fervor...
. Hillcrest is sometimes referred to as HLA or the "Castle on the Hill."
Hillcrest's mission is "to provide a quality academic, social and extracurricular experience which challenges students to think critically and examine topics through the lens of God’s Word."
Hillcrest holds accreditation
Educational accreditation
Educational accreditation is a type of quality assurance process under which services and operations of educational institutions or programs are evaluated by an external body to determine if applicable standards are met...
as a non-public high school through the Minnesota Nonpublic School Accrediting Association (MNSAA).
Campus
Hillcrest occupies an historic building constructed in 1901 by the Norwegian Lutheran Synod to house the Park Region Luther College. The four-story red brickBrick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
and sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
building, located on a hilltop overlooking the city, is in the Romanesque Revival style and was designed by Twin Cities architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
s Omeyer and Thori, who also designed educational buildings at St. Olaf College
St. Olaf College
St. Olaf College is a coeducational, residential, four-year, private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, United States. It was founded in 1874 by a group of Norwegian-American immigrant pastors and farmers, led by Pastor Bernt Julius Muus. The college is named after Olaf II of Norway,...
, courthouse
Courthouse
A courthouse is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English speaking countries, buildings which house courts of law are simply...
s in Windom
Windom, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,490 people, 1,910 households, and 1,195 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,263.6 people per square mile . There were 2,089 housing units at an average density of 587.9 per square mile...
and Ada
Ada, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,657 people, 749 households, and 432 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,234.4 people per square mile . There were 835 housing units at an average density of 622.1 per square mile...
, and the E.J. Webber house and Ole Hagen's Autograph Block in Fergus Falls. Its construction, supervised by contractor John Lauritzen, required all of the brick masons available in the area. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Park Region Luther College operated on the site until 1932, when the synod decided to concentrate its academic efforts on Concordia College
Concordia College, Moorhead
Concordia College is a private liberal arts school located in Moorhead, Minnesota, United States. It is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and offers bachelors' degrees in the arts and music, as well as a master's degree in education. The college was founded by Norwegian...
in Moorhead
Moorhead, Minnesota
Moorhead is a city in Clay County, Minnesota, United States, and the largest city in northwest Minnesota. The population was 38,065 at the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Clay County....
. Three years later, the campus was sold to the Church of the Lutheran Brethren, which operates Hillcrest Academy.
Hillcrest served as the high school department of Lutheran Brethren Schools from its founding until 2003, when it was incorporated as a separate school directly under the Church of the Lutheran Brethren, with its own president and school board. HLA continues to share the campus with Lutheran Brethren Seminary
Lutheran Brethren Seminary
Lutheran Brethren Seminary is an institute of theological higher education of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren of America , located in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. It shares its campus with the denominational headquarters of the CLBA and the denomination’s high school, Hillcrest Lutheran Academy...
, the theological training institute of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren.
Athletics
Hillcrest has a strong athletic program winning the Minnesota 9-Man State Football Title in 2001 and participating at the state level in basketball and soccer as well. Hillcrest's mascot is the Mighty Comet and the school colors are red and white with a touch of black. Hillcrest's 1993 sports teams were legendary in the Fergus Falls area. Many of the school's alumni, as well as members and attenders of Lutheran Brethren Churches from across the country send their children to live in the dorms and attend Hillcrest.International partnerships
For the last two decades, Hillcrest has had a unique partnership with the Lutheran high schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
Danielsen Videregående Skole (Danielsen High School) in Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. Each year, some 25-30 Norwegian students attend Hillcrest as Juniors, providing a great cultural experience for the American students. In recent years, many Korean students have attended HLA as well, adding to the international flavor of the school, as well as upholding the strong tradition of mission that the Church of the Lutheran Brethren was founded upon.
Notable alumni
Hillcrest has had some notable alumni including former Chief of Chaplains of the United States ArmyChief of Chaplains of the United States Army
The Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army is the chief supervising officer of the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps. . From 1775 to 1920, chaplains were attached to separate units. The Office of the Chief of Chaplains was created by the National Defense Act of 1920 in order to better organize the...
, General Gaylord T. Gunhus, and Atlanta-based defense attorney Joseph Romond.