Garden City Audiotour: Landhuizen, Spoorwegen en Echo's van de Gilded Age

Directly ahead, you’ll see a stunning stone cathedral rising from the park-like lawns, with a soaring, pointed spire and tall, arched windows-just look for the tallest, most dramatic building on the block surrounded by green trees. Imagine standing on these grounds back in the late 1800s-horses clip-clopping by, a fresh breeze carrying the scent of spring, and workmen sweating in their shirtsleeves as they quarried brownstone for what would become the grand Cathedral of the Incarnation. This wasn’t just any church. It was built by Cornelia Stewart in honor of her late husband Alexander Turney Stewart, a retail tycoon so wealthy he could’ve bought every pair of socks from here to Brooklyn and still had change left over! He dreamed up Garden City as a model town: tree-lined streets, open green parks, and homes for his workers, all centered around this cathedral. As you stand admiring the spiky spire that shoots 210 feet into the blue sky, you might feel history pressing in-after all, this is the only cathedral in the U.S. built for one single person, and it truly glows in its special English Gothic style. Take a moment and imagine the day its cornerstone was laid in 1877: crowds gathered, shovels in hand, and just maybe a few confused squirrels wondering what had happened to the quiet Hempstead Plains. On consecration day in 1885, dignitaries arrived from all over, carriages lined the roads, and Mrs. Stewart handed over both the building and a hefty sum to keep it polished and well cared for-talk about leaving a legacy! Peek up at the vast windows and you’ll see flashes of red, blue, and gold from the stained glass made by master artisans in London. The interior’s designed to be light-filled and lofty, with slender columns and a ceiling high enough for angelic choirs to get a running jump. And those windows? They aren’t just decoration-they actually tell stories from the Bible, serving as a “Bible in glass” for anyone walking inside who maybe missed Sunday school. And let’s talk about the high altar, carved in Belgium and fully restored just a few months ago. The panels show everything from angels to... well, a rather dramatic Adam and Eve having a snack they really shouldn’t! In the undercroft, there’s a crypt where you’ll find Cornelia Stewart, and maybe even Alexander himself-if you believe the legends. There’s a dash of mystery too, because his body was famously stolen once in the 1870s! But the cathedral isn’t just about the past. Today, it buzzes with music thanks to choirs that date back over a century-once upon a time, they even built the train station just so the choirboys could get here without cutting class. The organ inside is the largest on Long Island and can shake your bones during a rousing festival. If you’re here on a Sunday, you might catch a traditional service, or even a “Neighborhood Mass” out on the lawn where pets are invited-no barking at the sermons, though. The cathedral reaches far beyond its stone walls, running programs from feeding hungry families and offering support at the Nassau County jail, to chaplaincy at Adelphi University across the way. There’s a passionate focus on both quiet prayer and social justice, with everything from prison ministry to innovative “Cathedral for Kids” services to a program where, believe it or not, even your pets can get a special blessing. They even survived the pandemic by feeding front-line workers and streaming services to living rooms. So as you glance up at that spire reaching for the sky, just remember: whether it’s ringing bells, welcoming a crowd for Christmas, or whispering secrets of the Stewart family legacy, this cathedral has seen dreams, drama, prayer, and the occasional surprise-definitely a place that always reaches a little higher than the treetops! Interested in knowing more about the governance, architecture or the worship

You’re standing before the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island, and if these walls could talk, they’d probably sing in harmony! Picture this: it’s the late 1800s, and the quiet breeze of Garden City rustles through the old oak trees. Here, a chapter of faith was being written for all of Long Island-from bustling Brooklyn to the far East End. The diocese was formed in 1868, covering Kings, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk counties, basically supervising more sand and suburbia than you could ever imagine. The cathedral at the heart of this story is the Cathedral of the Incarnation-just a short stroll away. But right here, in these diocesan offices, big decisions and spirited debates shaped the religious fabric of the region. Over the years, a parade of bishops has led the diocese, each bringing their own flair, like Abram Newkirk Littlejohn, the original bishop with a last name fit for a novel, or the modern-day Bishop Provenzano, who, fun fact, announced he’ll be hanging up his bishop’s mitre in September 2026. These halls have seen everything from generous donations-a cool $10,000 from John Ordronaux in 1908, which was enough to buy a LOT of hymnals-to modern reckonings. In 2023, the diocese started digging into its own history with the Uncovering Parish Histories project, exploring links to both slavery and the fight for abolition. Imagine all the whispering voices of the past echoing through these rooms, each with a story to tell. So whether it’s spiritual guidance, local history, or just appreciating a building with more bishops than a chess tournament, you’ve found the heartbeat of Episcopal life on Long Island.

The local schools-Garden City High School and Middle School, Stewart, Stratford, Homestead, Locust, and Hemlock-form a learning network where dreams start as doodles in a notebook and might end up as Nobel Prizes. Each building has seen its share of “aha!” moments, epic gym class victories, and, of course, one or two legendary snowball fights. So while the HQ might look quiet now, it’s the nerve center for teachers and students who are shaping the future-one brainwave at a time. If you listen close, you might just sense a lingering aroma of cafeteria pizza and a few leftover homework excuses in the air!

You’re standing outside one of the most storied golf courses in the country-Garden City Golf Club. Around here, golf isn’t just a game; it’s pretty much a way of life, or at least a very, very exclusive club. It’s nicknamed the “Men’s Club,” and that’s not just for show-this is one of the last true all-men’s golf clubs left in the United States. When they say tee time, they really mean “he” time! Let’s take a walk back to the late 1800s, when the game was young in America and so was this very course. It all began in 1897, as the Island Golf Links-just a humble nine holes for guests from the nearby Garden City Hotel, where the smell of cigars probably hung in the air as thick as the end-of-day applause. The course was soon expanded to a full 18 holes by Devereux Emmet, and suddenly, this was the longest course around-over 6,000 yards. No wonder they brought in their best walking shoes! The iconic clubhouse, designed by Richard Howland Hunt, saw some real sporting drama. In 1902, Laurie Auchterlonie made headlines here by breaking 80 in all four rounds of the U.S. Open-something nobody had done before. Meanwhile, amateur Walter Travis, local hero and master of the greens, finished in second place, and later put his personal stamp on the course by redesigning it. One day, during the U.S. Amateur, Travis famously landed his ball in a new pot bunker he had just added-imagine designing your own trap and then falling for it! Golf can be a cruel game. Through the decades, everyone from U.S. Amateur contenders to Walker Cup players have battled the subtle hills and sneaky sand traps. And don’t forget the Walter J. Travis Invitational, one of the country’s premier tournaments and a true badge of honor if you’re a mid-amateur golfer. By 2013, Garden City Golf Club was rubbing elbows with the golf world’s best-26th in the whole nation! Not bad for a club that started as a playground for hotel guests. So while you’re outside these gates, just know you’re staring at a place where golf history has been written, rewritten, and sometimes, hilariously, bunkered.

Looking straight ahead, you’ll spot an enormous, castle-like brick building with grand arches, slate rooftops, and tall chimneys peeking out above the trees-that’s St. Paul’s School, right in front of you. Alright, take a moment to soak in this view-St. Paul’s School stands like a sleeping giant at the end of the drive. Imagine yourself back in 1879, as the cornerstone is laid with the sound of triumphant cheers and church bells echoing through the air. This place was the dream of Cornelia Stewart, widow of Alexander Stewart, and it was built as a living tribute to her late husband. It took four years for James L’Hommedieu to finish this immense, brick E-shaped building, all topped off with a sharp slate roof and a soaring clock and bell tower. This is High Victorian Gothic at its boldest-look for those colorful arches above each window and the stone trim that shows off the architect’s flair. Originally, St. Paul’s had 500 rooms, including laboratories packed with curious gadgets, kitchens churning out meals for hundreds, and a chapel grand enough to sit 400. Imagine the halls bustling with the clatter of boots because St. Paul’s opened in 1883 as a military school for boys. Marching drills, the thud of footsteps in unison, and every boy looking sharp enough to make their parents proud. Over the years, the sound of football cheers replaced military orders when St. Paul’s became a college preparatory academy. In fact, in 1884, the school’s football team were the New York area champions! They also had students on baseball and ice hockey teams-clearly, sports were serious business here. The mission back then? The legendary headmaster Rev. Frederick Luther Gamage summed it up: “develop manly, Christian character, a strong physique, and the power to think.” Tough crowd! Generosity also lived here: George Bywater Cluett, whose son once studied at St. Paul’s, funded a gymnasium after his son passed away, hoping future students would grow strong and spirited. Speaking of students, there’s a tale of a young man named William Bradford Turner, who arrived in 1906. He was a direct descendant of Governor William Bradford and would later earn the Congressional Medal of Honor for bravery in World War I. Just think, heroes walked these very grounds. And if you thought high school pep rallies were wild, imagine this: in 1917, right after the World Series, the Chicago White Sox and New York Giants came here for an exhibition baseball game-yes, right out there on the athletic fields! Soldiers from the U.S. Army Rainbow Division cheered, while legends like Jim Thorpe and teams soon tangled in scandal faced off. But life at St. Paul’s wasn’t all heroics and headline games. Pranks were practically an institution-just ask the Trump family! Fred Trump Jr. graduated in 1956 and his father, Fred Sr., even donated to fix up the soccer field, which was briefly known as Trump Field-now that’s one way to leave your mark. In the 1970s, the sound of basketballs joined the symphony here, as St. Paul’s opened the largest indoor sports fieldhouse on Long Island. Students played alongside the New York Nets, sharing the exact locker rooms with future Hall of Famer Rick Barry. In the 1990s, though, the laughter and footsteps faded. The school fell silent when the Episcopal Diocese that owned the property went bankrupt, and Garden City took it over. Since then, the fate of the building has been a tug of war, with community votes, failed proposals to turn it into a high school, and heated debates about demolition or preservation. Now, it stands mostly unused, a beautifully haunting landmark chosen among New York’s "Seven to Save" endangered properties-a monument to ambition, community, mischief, and tenacity. So as you look at those arches and imagine the tangled stories woven into every brick, remember: every epic tale needs a castle, and St. Paul’s School is one of Garden City’s grandest. So, who’s up for a game of hide-and-seek in a 500-room building? Only kidding-let’s not upset the neighbors!