150th Anniversary of the Village Garden City Special Section The Gargen City News Friday, July 12, 2019
14
St. Paul’s School in the early days
The Cathedral
St. Paul’s School as it looked at the beginning of the 20th Century. However, look closely - what is missing? That huge flag pole (the tallest in the Village) is not there. This allowed for an unobstructed view of the front of the building. The original flag pole for St. Paul’s since it opened in 1883 well into the 20th century was at the corner of the property . In fact, at the corner there is still a low hedge of shrubs shaped like a cross and the flagpole used to be in its center.
St. Mary’s School circa 1910
Springtime at the Cathedral of the Incarnation
When the St. Mary’s School for girls was built in 1892 on Cathedral Avenue, it was much smaller than the St. Paul’s School for boys building. It was expanded several times over the years. This photo was taken around 1910 after the tower section on the left was added in 1902. An “Apostle” house on that site was moved across Fifth Street so the tower section could be built. In 1988, that same house was moved again to Eleventh Street. In 1990, St. Mary’s moved over to the St. Paul’s building and closed all together in 1991. In 2001, the St. Mary’s building was torn down and in 1993 the St. Paul’s building and property was sold to the Village of Garden City.
Photo by John Ellis Kordes
Cornelia M. Stewart 1803-1886
Laying the cornerstone of St. Paul’s School
This is a color drawing of the laying of the cornerstone of St. Paul’s School for boys in Garden City on June 18, 1879. It appeared in the July 5th, 1879 edition of Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper and shows Bishop Littlejohn striking the cornerstone with a small ceremonial hammer. St. Paul’s along with the Cathedral of the Incarnation and eventually St. Mary’s School for girls were built as memorials to Garden City’s founder A.T. Stewart who died in 1876. In the drawing seated on the right in the front row are Charles Clinch (Cornelia’s brother), Judge Hilton (Stewart’s legal advisor) and Cornelia Stewart (A.T. Stewart’s widow). That cornerstone can still be seen today at the base of the clock tower.