Historical Society Hosts St. Paul’s Forum

More than 100 residents attended a St. Paul’s forum hosted by the Garden City Historical Society on Wednesday evening.

“Without St. Paul’s School, Garden City will become Anytown, USA,” said Brian Pinola, Historical Society president. The society’s board of directors officially adopted a resolution in May urging the preservation of the main building: “Demolition of St. Paul’s School would result in the loss of a significant part of Garden City’s history and architectural heritage, as well as a contribution to the historic fabric of Long Island and the country.”

Pinola explained that the purpose of the forum was to inform attendees of the benefits of preservation and to drum up support to prevent the potential demolition of the main building at St. Paul’s. He said he personally supports the demolition of Ellis Hall as it obstructs the view of the east side of the main building.

Pinola said many residents see the character of the Village changing, and in some respects he believes it is not changing for the better. “If we were to lose St. Paul’s, that large, imposing and beautiful structure is going to change the character of our neighborhood and become more closely affiliated with communities that are not as blessed and distinguished as Garden City is.” He is also concerned that local property values will suffer if the building is demolished.

Attendees listened to brief speeches given by four people involved in preservation projects at the local, regional and state levels. Paul Van Wie, who works for the Town of Hempstead Landmarks Preservation Commission, replaced commission chairman Angelo Corva, who could not attend due to a family emergency. He gave a brief history of the building and stressed that nothing similar will be able to replace the building once it is demolished.

“It truly is a work of art,” he said. “In need of repair, not in perfect condition, but let’s evaluate it in that light. If it could be adapted to different uses, what a great glory that would be for the Village of Garden City, to adapt this historic building for future generations to use productively.”

Alexandra Parsons Wolfe, director of Preservation Services for the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities, said the society has monitored the St. Paul’s issue since 1995, and she has personally been involved since 2007. She believes the problem is that there is no real collaboration between the community and the Board of Trustees to devise a solution. She urged residents to contact their Board representative and express their views.

Erin Tobin, regional director of technical and grant programs for the Eastern New York

Preservation League of New York State, encouraged residents to find a solution for the building and said there are many examples of communities who saved buildings that had become “white elephants.” In 2003, the state preservation league listed St. Paul’s as one of its “Seven to Save Sites.”

Pinola responded that in 2015 he hopes St. Paul’s will win the league’s Excellence in Historic Preservation Award.

John M. Collins, architectural historian and preservation consultant to the Incorporated Village of Roslyn’s Historic District Board, gave a history of Roslyn’s attempts to save historic structures.

The speeches were followed by a short question-and-answer period. Questions included whether the building can be protected by landmark status (Parsons Wolfe responded that no, it is simply listed on the national registry); can residents come together and restore it as a voluntary community project (Parsons Wolfe said residents should start pursuing this, realizing that strong oversight would be needed); and how can “civic pride” be conveyed to those residents who want the building demolished (Tobin recommended that supporters of the building enlist the help of neighbors, hold public meetings, talk with the Board of Trustees and local elected officials, and gather petitions).

Notable forum attendees included St. Paul’s alumni, CPOA President Pat DiMattia, Mayor Robert J. Rothschild, Village Administrator Robert L. Schoelle, Jr., and several trustees. When asked by The Garden City News for comment after the forum, Mayor Rothschild said he was pleased with the turnout, which he estimated to be approximately 130 to 140 people. “I thought it was a great program,” he said. “Unfortunately, there was no one here who is going to tell us how we are going to finance this project, which is invariably the bottom line.”

He said the projects mentioned by the speakers, such as the Montauk Playhouse, are on a much smaller scale than St. Paul’s. The Village has been searching for a use for the building for more than 15 years. “We have looked at a lot of things and we have never come up with a final answer where everybody says, ‘yes, that’s the answer and I don’t mind paying for that.’”

The Mayor said he has spoken with residents who say that if the building is torn down, they want something built that they can use. “I hope someday that we don’t have to tear it down, but we can’t put the cost of this renovation that people want on the backs of the residents of the Village of Garden City.”