Fordham University - Maroon Yearbook (New York, NY)

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|K)sk n(y. About (In’s lime, or several years before, the Manor was parcelled out into several farms, cue of which. Rose Hill, was bought by the Corsa family. The Old Manor House of legendary fame was the birthplace of Benjamin Fletcher Corsa. 1692. and stood the test of time and weather until 18%. when it was destroye 1 to give place to the Auditorium erected in 1903. The old homestead had long served as the College infirmary. From the Corsa family. Rose Hill passed into the hands of John Watts. During the Revolutionary War it belonged to Robert Watts, whose daughter was the wife of Lord Stirling, a major-general under Washington. In 1824 Rose Hill liecame the property »f Elias Urevoort. who in 18.16 sold it to Horatio Shephard Moat. In 1838 Moat built the stone house which is now the Administration Building of the College. In 1S39, through Andrew Carrigan. the new house with a farm of 98 acres was purchased by Bishop John Hughes for the sum of $30,000. An additional $10,000 was expended in adapting the old stone mansion for scholastic purposes. The Archbishop decided to transfer the Ecclesiastical Seminary, at that time located at Lafargeville, in Jefferson County, to Fordham. The seminarians were thus brought down to Rose Hill. The present chapel of the Parthcnian Sodality on the second floor of the Administration Building served as study hall and classroom. The seminary was established under the patronage of St. Joseph. Italian Lazarists were in charge, with Father Felix Villanis as Superior. Father McCloskey (later the first American Cardinal) was appointed President of the institution. On June 24. 1841. the feast day of St. John the Baptist, the College was formally opened. To satisfy a patent need for lodgings. St. John’s Hall was built in 1845 from stone quarried on the College grounds. The old Church next to the Hall was built at the same time Tin students were transferred to the new hall, at that time known as St. Joseph’s Seminary. The number of professors was still small. Bishop Hughes, contemplating a change in the management of the College, made overtures to the fesuits of St. Mary’s College. Kentucky. The St. Mary’s Jesuits accepted and agreed to pay jf40.000 for the establishment exclusive of the ( luirch and seminary. The buildings were purchased in 1800 at a cost of $45,000. On April 10. 184o. a short time Ik-fore the vanguard of the Jesuits arrived from Kentucky, the College was incorporated and given the power of granting degrees in theology, law. medicine and arts. Fathers Thebaud and Murphy were the first to arrive from Kentucky. April. 1846. During the vacation, the entire Kentucky community was transported to Fordham, and in August the transfer of property was completed, and Augustus J. Thebaud. S.J.. appointed first I’resident under the new regime. The Jesuits had to re-establish the college, conduct their own scholastirate and novitiate and take care of the seminary. CARDINAL MrCl.OSKF.Y 26

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The Jesuits had chosen an ambitious task in their four-fold undertaking. It was not until 1869. twenty-three years after they had taken over the Rose Hill institution, that they were finally enabled to direct their undivided efforts to the development of the College. In 18 19 the novices were sent to Montreal. in I860 the seminary was moved to Troy (from where it was transferred to its present location at Dunwoodic. 1896). St. Joseph’s Seminary and the Church were then purchased from the Archbishop for 845.000. The seminary building (now St. John's Hall) was made the residence of the Superior of the Mission, and a House of Retreats. It was named Manrcsa. the predecessor of the present establishment on Staten Island. Manresa was short-lived, however, for four years later (1864 i the scholasticate was reopened in the old seminary, where it remained until 1869, when it was removed to Woodstock. There now remained but the College. Thus we have the beginnings of the Fordham of today. The College was called St. John's. Ixxause it was formally opened on the feast of St. John the Baptist. June 24. 1841. The College lias undergone great changes since its founding. To record all these changes in their causes, nature, and extent would take far too much space, and since the various evolutions would often necessitate a recurrence to periods many times discussed, the result would be rather Iroresomc. to say the least, to the reader. Our list of dates together with the cuts will further help to give a clear idea »f the metamorphosis of the grounds and buildings, while reference to the various college activities in other parts of this book will serve to acquaint the reader with the successes and difficulties which accompanied their growth. St John's Mali is a s]xrial center of interest. It was built to meet a necessity'. Time and again has it been repaired and remodelled to meet an emergency. Seminarians. Cadet Corps, Grammar .School. Prep, youngsters, are part of its history. The older members of the Student Army Training Corps enjoyed its quaint interior as they meditated on their cots— forgetful of the quick-course lieutenants and the would-be commissioned, or sergeants. The furrowed and weather beaten exterior brings us hack to ‘45. sixteen years before the terrible clash Utweeii North and South. The trim, richly fitted out interior transports us to '20. the first year of |»eacc after five years of world turmoil. Adjoining the hall is a little College Church, once called Our Lady of Mercy Church. and used by' the people of the vicinity until June. 189.1. when the Parish was transferred to the Archbishop, and a disused hall on Pelham Avenue was made the new Parish Church But we wish to call special attention to the Central Building of the institution, the Admin-traticn Building with its extensions. Two reasons prompt us to center attention about this building. First because the Administration Building, or the later Rose Hill Manor House (18o8» is often confused with the Old Manor House, which had the traditions of the Revolution. The Old Manor House, long used as the College Infirmary, was demolished in 1896 to give place to the Auditorium, which was constructed in 1903. Our second reason is that the cause of fond memories in the minds of older Fordhaiuitcs means nothing to us of today. For the Castle, the Quadrangle, Old Second Division and Old Third Division no longer exist. Other buildings too. have been demolished, but with the exception of the old infirmary they entered not the life of the student of those days. 28