Sarah Elliot Linton

Born Jan 4, 1822, Sarah Elliott Linton was sent by her family to boarding school after her mother lost her husband, the father that Sarah never knew. While Sarah attended the Georgetown Catholic School it became more and more apparent that she was called to the church. Sarah graduated at the age of sixteen and when she returned home she told her family of her ambitions to return to Georgetown to become a Sister in faith. Her family was furious. They did everything in their power to prevent Sarah from becoming a nun, however their efforts only strengthened her determination and faith. She managed to return to Georgetown and became a nun at the age of twenty. Sarah took the name Sister Mary Baptista and it became quite clear that she was meant to be a nun. Though she had many small successes, Sister Baptista became internationally known for her methods of teaching history. She came up with charts and other practical methods that helped children learn the subject. Back home, things began to fall apart. With all immediate family gone, Anne Cecilia, Sarah's half-sister, was left to take care of the land by herself. She began selling portions of the land to farmers for extra money. When Sarah heard of this she came home and decided to take matters into her own hands. She had read a book called "Monks of the West" and learned that the Benedictine Order was able to make good use of land. She gave the Order 500 acres to build a school for poor children. Today, the school grounds have become the Linton Hall School which is a co-ed Catholic school. Sister Mary Baptista passed away in 1901 at the Georgetown Visitation Convent.