Historic
St. Paul's
St.
Pauls School for boys was erected in 1879, along with
the Cathedral of the Incarnation and St. Marys School
for girls, by Cornelia Stewart, the widow of multi-millionaire
Alexander Turney Stewart, the founder of Garden City.It
was Mrs. Stewarts hope that these three buildings
would form the permanent nucleus of the nascent village
that reflected her husbands vision of a planned
community. Originally an all-boys college preparatory and
science boarding school, the building mirrors high Victorian
Gothic design. In 1897, the headmaster at the time, Frederick
Luther Gamage, advertised the aim of the school to develop
manly, Christian character, a strong physique, and the power
to think. An AIA guide to Nassau and Suffolk counties
describes it as having poly-chromatic voussoir arched
windows, elaborate cast-iron balustrades, and Dorchester
stone trim. Inside, the building is highlighted by elaborate
Minton floor tiles, extensive wood paneling, and magnificent
stained glass windows in the two-story chapel.
The school is listed on the National
Register of Historic Places, and in 2003 it was selected
by the Preservation League of New York State as one of its
Seven to Save because of its incredible architecture
and its importance to the history of Long Island. The building
and surrounding 48 acres were sold to the residents of Garden
City in 1993 for public use. While the open
fields surrounding the building have been put to almost
constant use by the residents, the building has long gone
unused. A number of years ago, certain Village leaders decided
to sell or lease the building to a developer looking to
create a private assisted-living facility. However, this
plan was challenged and defeated in court, where it was
clearly determined that the entire property was purchased
as a Public Trust.
In 2004, the Board of Trustees voted in a split decision
to designate the entire property as Parkland, meaning that
the building and the land that surrounds it must all be
used for public recreational purposes. More recently, the
current Board has re-introduced the idea of selling a portion
of the property, including the St. Pauls historic
building, to developers for private condominiums.
The Committee to Save St. Pauls is opposed to this
direction, and is actively working to develop a plan for
public use that the residents can ultimately vote to approve.
Unfortunately, should the Trustees decide to try to sell
the property, they can take that action without a vote by
the residents. Our plan will at least give the residents
an opportunity to vote on the preservation of St. Pauls.
We expect that plan to be available in the Fall, 2006.
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