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Home · St. Augustine · Scenic Views · Gift Shop · Guest Book · Link Page · Msgr. Franco · Father Dunn |
The History of St. Augustine Church
Eagle Park |
The History of St. Augustine Church:
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Page 1: Until 1887.
Dedication of the new Church at Eagle Park"Today we dedicate our new church, confident that we have provided a proper setting for the celebration of Mass and conferring of the Sacraments; a sanctified place for meditation and prayer; an expression of gratitude for our heritage; a commitment to the present and future spiritual life of our parish. This is the Day the
Lord Has Made Eagle ParkVery little is known about the land on which St. Augustine Church now stands. Indians probably lived there and hunted deer and bear in the surrounding wilderness. The Hudson and Croton Rivers provide fish and transportation. General George Washington and his troops are believed to have camped there; Washington's headquarters were located on the former site of Julien's Restaurant, now vacant land between the present Route 9 and Old Albany Post Road. A series of subterranean passages were constructed. Local historians think some of these were built as potential escape routes for Washington's troops. According to land records at the Westchester County Clerk's Office in White Plains, John Haggerty, a New York City merchant, conveyed ownership of four acres of land and dwelling, formerly owned by John Leacock, to Thomas Oliver of Baltimore, Maryland, in 1841. In 1842, Haggerty conveyed to Oliver an adjoining 43 acres. Oliver acquired additional land and his holdings were known as Riverdale Farm. Sometime in the mid-1800's, Currier, of Currier and Ives, surveyed the property. Thomas Oliver's son, Rovert, inherited the property in 1849 and conveyed Riverdale Farm to George J. Barlow and Harrison Cocks, on December 13, 1866. Barlow and Cocks subsequently sold 92 acres of land to Orlando B. Potter for the sum of $6,500 on May 1, 1871. Potter purchased additional land in 1871 and renamed the site Eagle Park. Historical accounts state that a female eagle lived in an oak tree at a place called Frank's Rock, where the Hudson and Croton rivers meet at the edge of the property; eagles inhabited the area around Eagle Park for many years. Orlando Potter was a skilled and enthusiastic farmer and Eagle Park became a finely kept and very productive farm, especially in regard to its dairy operation. The agricultural methods used were far advanced for the time. Thorough ventilation and proper sanitation kept animal disease, especially pleuro=pneumonia, to a minimum and proper care and concern for herd, even to the extent of heating the cows' drinking water, contributed to the quality and quantity of milk produced. The farm included stables, a sawmill, hay and feed buildings, a blacksmith shop, greenhouses, a grist mill, a conservatory, hanging gardens, vineyards, orchards, a lime kiln and hundreds of chestnut trees (many of which were downed by a cyclone in July, 1901). One of the more interesting features of the farm was a series of stone and brick walls, causeways and underground passageways. Granite from the farm's own quarry was used in their construction. Underground arched vaults, similar to the wine cellars, were used as silage pits for storing fodder for the herd of cows. The cows ere led to pasture along these stone passageways and under bridges. Other parts of the subterranean passages were apparently used as root cellars for keeping vegetables grown at Eagle Park. At one time these passageways were also thought to have been part of the escape route used by slaves during the Civil War. Local historians doubt, however, that Eagle Park was part of the "underground railroad," since none of the passages had openings close to or on the river. In areas other than farming, the Potters were an outstanding and influential family. Orlando Potter became a U. S. Congressman in the 1880's and was instrumental in establishing our national banking system. He continued to concern himself with farm operations and was very involved in several charitable institutions, even using a building on one of his farms as a summer home for poor children from New York City. Orlando's son and his wife, Frederick and Helen Ward Brandreth Potter, lived in a yellow brick Victorian house known as Meadow Hall, now the site of the Hudson River Conference Center, and were very active in community affairs. They built the old Ossining Hospital in 1906 in memory of Potter's mother. Blanch Potter was the last member of the Potter family to hold title to Eagle Park. In 1915 the property was sold to the Dominican Sisters of St. Mary of the Springs in Columbus, Ohio, for $50,000. With an enrollment of twenty five students, Mary Immaculate School was established in 1916 in the old Potter mansion. The white Gothic-Victorian mansion was built around 1840. While the architect is unknown, the building was once one of the areas finest old country farmhouses. Orlando Potter made substantial interior modifications and is credited with adding the tower with its Renaissance detailing. The mansion contained some fifty rooms. The first floor consisted of approximately fifteen large rooms and numerous closets and baths. On the east side of the house, a number of walls were eventually removed to create a large dining area for the Mary Immaculate School Boarders; 150 to 200 persons could be seated. Ceilings ere fifteen feet high, fireplaces were elaborately carved marble, and stained glass adorned some windows. The building also contained a large one-stroy chapel, which was probably added in the 1930's, along with classrooms and a science lab. |
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Classroom Photo
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Graduation
Class, June 19, 1926 |
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The school gradually expanded and out grew the original mansion. Aquinas Hall housed a dormitory. By the 1950's the Sisters felt the need for further expansion. According to Sister Augustine Schaube, Principal at Mary Immaculate in the 1950's, Monsignor John Costello, the Pastor of St. Augustine, was extremely encouraging and helpful with the expansion. Monsignor Costello and his brother, Monsignor Francis Costello, a member of the building Commission for the Diocese, were instrumental in obtaining an appointment for Sister Augustine and Mother Aloyse to meet with Cardinal Spellman in October, 1958. Approval for the new building was given. Clarke and Warren were chosen as the architects and Camilli of Pleasantville was the contractor. The planning phase actually took longer than the construction. The groundbreaking ceremony was on June 23, 1960 and the school was completed by September, 1961. During construction, an advisory board was formed to help the sisters. Most of the members were men from St. Augustine Parish, and Monsignor Costello was always present at the meetings. The construction of the new building increased the capacity of the school to 500 students. Unfortunately, enrollment declined over the next ten years and Mary immaculate School closed in June, 1973. Efforts to sell the property for use as an extensive publishing park failed. St. Augustine Parish acquired the property in 1978. |
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Continued on The New Church at Eagle Park. |
