The original school building, now used as a parish hall, was put into use in 1890.
The present building's cornerstone was laid on September 23, 1923.
The school has been staffed by the Sisters of St. Francis from Rochester, Minnesota, the Benedictine sisters from Erie Pennsylvania, the Sisters of Divine Mercy from Melbourne Kentucky, and the Sisters of St. Francis from Oldenburg Indiana.

The beginnings of St. Michael Parish can be traced to 1833-36 when several Catholic families settled in and near Ripley. Mass was occasionally celebrated in the Michael Walters and Joseph Helbling homes. In 1840, the first church was erected on ground donated by Michael Waters on the east side of North Main Street and dedicated on June 19, 1842 by Archbishop Purcell in honor of St. John the Baptist. Early missionary priests served Ripley for many years. In 1858, the first resident priest came to live in Ripley, Reverend H. Boecker, a native of Germany.
The second church was in the present parish hall. The cost of this structure was $5,000.00. The interior was comprised of one large room with a reed organ. After the present church building was erected, this building became and is still used as the school cafeteria as well as for meetings and social gatherings.
The third and present church building was dedicated to God under the patronage of St. Michael by Archbishop William Elder on June 21, 1890. This church was designed after the St. Michael Church in Schonau/Pfalz, Gennany. The architecture is Roman in design and the Roman numerals MDCCCLXXXIX are chiseled in the plain cornerstone. The dimensions are 90 feet long by 45 feet wide and there is a tower 120 feet high. A cast bronze bell, weighing 1037 pounds was installed and rung by hand with a rope until 1956 when it was electrified.
Sometime between 1904 and 1922, the beautiful paintings which adorn the walls and dome of the sanctuary were done by a German artist by the name of Brausch.
In 1984, extensive repair and redecorating began on the church. A new plastered ceiling was installed. The entire body of the church was repainted, decorative woodwork and moldings were used in the sanctuary and on the doors. Artistic stenciling and repair of all paintings in the church was done by Fred Anderson of Ripley.