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!
