Founded in 1884, the school was originally organized as St. Katharine’s School, an Episcopal boarding and day school for girls. Located at 10th and Tremont Streets in Davenport, the school thrived for over eighty years serving the needs of local girls as well as those from afar.
In 1968, St. Katharine’s dropped its boarding program, became co-educational, and added St. Mark’s to its name. With the addition of boys, the mission of the school changed, as did the flavor of the school atmosphere and culture.
In 1973, SKSM moved to its present location, formerly the home of Joseph Bettendorf. In 1980, the school amicably broke ties with the Episcopal Church. In 2001, the Board of Trustees voted to change the name of the school to Rivermont Collegiate. As the only PS-12th grade independent school in the Quad Cities area, Rivermont Collegiate has served the community and its families as an alternative to public and parochial school education since 1884.
Rivermont Collegiate's 9-acre campus is located on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. The centerpiece of the campus is the former Joseph Bettendorf mansion and Carriage House built in 1915. The mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Wallace House was purchased in 1980 to house the Upper School. In 2001 the school moved into Becherer Hall, a state-of-the art facility housing the Early School and Lower School classrooms along with Common Areas, Auditorium, and Dining Room for the entire school community. Rivermont Collegiate provides a broad range of intellectual, physical, artistic, and cultural activities that challenge students to develop values, to prepare for leadership, and to aspire to excellence in an American democracy.