Walk down Aisquith Street in Old Town Baltimore today and you’ll feel it. The silence. For 173 years, that block was alive with the sound of students, the School Sisters of Notre Dame, and the general bustle of one of the most historic educational institutions in America. When the Institute of Notre Dame MD (IND) shuttered its doors in 2020, it wasn’t just another private school closing because of a bad budget year. It was the death of a legacy that survived the Civil War, the Great Depression, and the 1904 Great Baltimore Fire.
Honestly, the news hit the city like a physical blow. You’ve got generations of women—grandmothers, mothers, and daughters—who all wore that distinctive plaid. They weren’t just students; they were "Indy" girls.
The closure was abrupt. Many people still haven't quite processed how a school with that much history, boasting alumni like Nancy Pelosi and Barbara Mikulski, could just... vanish. It's complicated. It's about shifting demographics, a crumbling building that needed millions in repairs, and the brutal reality of a global pandemic that acted as the final straw.
What Actually Happened to IND?
It wasn't one single thing. Most people want to blame the COVID-19 pandemic, and while that was the "when," it wasn't the "why." The board of trustees basically had to look at a terrifying set of numbers. Enrollment had been sliding for years. In the late 2010s, the school was operating at a fraction of its capacity.
The building itself was a masterpiece of 19th-century architecture, but let’s be real: old buildings are money pits. We're talking about a facility that needed roughly $5 million in immediate structural repairs and long-term upgrades. When you have a dwindling student body and a massive overhead, the math just stops working.
By the time the announcement came in May 2020, the decision was already made. There was no "save the school" campaign that could bridge a gap that wide. The School Sisters of Notre Dame, who had sponsored the school since its founding in 1847, had to make the gut-wrenching call to cease operations at the end of the academic year.
The Pelosi-Mikulski Legacy
You can't talk about the Institute of Notre Dame MD without talking about power. Specifically, female political power. It’s pretty wild when you think about it. Two of the most influential women in American political history sat in those same classrooms on Aisquith Street.
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Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (class of '58) and Senator Barbara Mikulski (class of '54) are the "North Stars" of the IND alumnae network. They didn't just attend; they credited the school with forming their backbone. Mikulski often spoke about how the Sisters taught them that they could do anything. In an era when women were often pushed to the sidelines, IND was a factory for leadership.
But it wasn't just about the famous names. IND was a melting pot. Unlike many elite private schools that stayed tucked away in the suburbs, IND stayed in the city. It stayed in a neighborhood that changed around it. It served a diverse population of girls from all over Baltimore, many of whom were the first in their families to head toward college.
The Physical Space: More Than Just Bricks
The campus was a labyrinth. If you ever stepped inside, you’d remember the high ceilings and that specific smell of old wood and floor wax. It was the oldest Catholic girls' secondary school in Maryland. Founded by Mother Theresa Gerhardinger, the school started with just a handful of students and grew into a massive complex.
The chapel was the heart of the place. Even if you aren't religious, the stained glass and the sense of history there were undeniable. It was a sanctuary. For many students, the school was a safe haven in a city that could be tough.
When the school closed, the big question was: what happens to the stuff? The archives, the trophies, the records? Most of the historical documents and artifacts were moved to the School Sisters of Notre Dame North American Archives. They didn't just throw the history away, but seeing those halls empty is still a trip for anyone who spent four years there.
The "Indy" Spirit vs. The Reality of 2020
The culture at IND was... unique. There was this intense pride. You had the "Penny Queen" fundraisers and the legendary basketball games against Mercy High School. The "The Game" was a Baltimore staple. Thousands of people would head to the SECU Arena (and previously the Baltimore Arena) to watch two girls' high school teams play. It was the biggest event in the city for Catholic schools.
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When the school closed, that rivalry—the IND-Mercy game—essentially died too. It was a cultural loss for Baltimore sports that people don't talk about enough.
Why did it have to end?
Basically, the "business" of Catholic education has changed. In the 1950s, you had dozens of nuns teaching for free. That kept tuition low. Today, you have a lay faculty that needs living wages, health insurance, and retirement plans. Combine that with the fact that many families moved out of the city, and you see why so many urban parochial schools are struggling.
IND wasn't alone, but it was the most prominent.
The Aftermath and What's Left
Since 2020, the building has sat in a sort of limbo. There have been various proposals for the site. Some people want it turned into affordable housing; others hope for a community center. Because it's a historic landmark, you can't just tear it down and put up a luxury condo tower—at least not easily.
The alumnae haven't gone anywhere, though. The IND Alumnae Association is still incredibly active. They've shifted their focus from supporting a physical school to preserving the legacy and supporting scholarships for girls attending other Catholic schools in the region.
They say "once an Indy girl, always an Indy girl." It's not just a slogan. They’ve held vigils, organized cleanups, and continued to meet. They are the living monument to what the Institute of Notre Dame MD was.
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A Lesson in Urban Education
The story of IND is a cautionary tale. It shows that even the deepest roots can be pulled up if the environment changes too much. It reminds us that institutions we think are "permanent" are actually quite fragile.
If there’s a silver lining, it’s that the school’s mission—the idea of educating young women to be "transformative leaders"—actually worked. The thousands of women who graduated are still out there. They are doctors, lawyers, teachers, and activists in Baltimore and beyond. The school is gone, but the "product" is very much alive.
What You Can Do Now
If you are a former student or just someone who cares about Baltimore history, there are ways to keep the memory of the Institute of Notre Dame MD from fading.
First, look into the IND Alumnae Association. They are the primary keepers of the flame and have been instrumental in ensuring that the records and history of the school aren't lost to time. They still hold events and provide a network for graduates.
Second, if you're interested in the architecture or the history of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, visit the Maryland Center for History and Culture. They have occasionally featured exhibits related to the city's parochial history, and IND is a major part of that narrative.
Lastly, support local urban education. The pressures that closed IND—declining enrollment and rising infrastructure costs—are still hitting schools like St. Frances Academy and others in the city. Volunteering or donating to these remaining institutions is the best way to honor the spirit of what IND stood for. The building on Aisquith Street might be quiet, but the mission doesn't have to be.