Supporting the Preservation of a Local Historic Site

Located in the heart of Garden City, NY, St. Paul’s School serves as a reminder of the founding of the village itself and a nod to the intricate and eclectic architectural craftsmanship of its time.

Beginning construction in 1879, this historic building of High Victorian Gothic architecture was dedicated by Cornelia Stewart, wife of Garden City founder Alexander Stewart, to her late husband. Opening in 1883 first as a boy’s military school and eventually as a college preparatory school, St. Paul’s saw more than a century of use before its owner entered bankruptcy and the building was forced to close in 1991.

In 1993, the historic building along with its 48 landscaped acres were purchased by the Village of Garden City and has since been listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in addition to being designated as one of the “Seven to Save” endangered historic properties by the Preservation League of New York State.

Despite Garden City residents’ majority plea for the building’s phased renovation and eventual reuse as a multi-purpose recreational space, its preservation has been challenged by proponents of facadism (preserving only the exterior of the building while permanently altering or destroying its interior) and even demolition. Through facadism, St. Paul’s historic integrity would be threatened, stripping it of its rich cultural significance and irreplaceable, timeless interior—a path that should be considered only upon the exhaustion of all other alternatives.

In a 2011 referendum regarding the potential demolition of St. Paul’s, Garden City residents voted 3-to-1 in favor of the building’s preservation. In October of 2023, the building’s fate was at stake yet again in another referendum, ultimately resulting in a 61% vote in favor of either its full or partial preservation. However, in spite of Garden City residents’ demonstrated preference for preservation, demolition unfortunately continues to remain in question today.

As a community-centric company, PriMedia has provided ongoing assistance within advertising efforts for the advocation of St. Paul’s preservation, pro bono. Supporting the St. Paul’s Alliance (SPA), an organization of passionate, informed Garden City residents advocating for the landmark’s protection, PriMedia has engaged in a series of ad campaigns, open letters, and direct mail to support SPA’s fight toward spreading factual information surrounding the financing of St. Paul’s preservation, in addition to advocating for pro-preservation Board of Trustee candidates.

As part of Garden City’s annual Turkey Trot, a series of fundraising races held on the morning of Thanksgiving, PriMedia designed hanging banners and wearable stickers for SPA to be showcased at the event. Since the site of St. Paul’s School serves as the race’s starting and finishing location, these promotional materials became an exciting opportunity to promote SPA’s vision for St. Paul’s eventual transformation into a vibrant community center.

“Your ideas, then designs, then new designs, then newer designs, then the final design.... were great! Your patience was even better! Many, many thanks to PriMedia for your contributions to this project!”

Kathie W.
St. Paul’s Alliance

Thanks to our wonderful clients, we are proud to be able to designate our resources toward the preservation of St. Paul’s School, a movement spearheaded by the SPA, to protect its historic and cultural significance to the Village of Garden City.

Click here to learn more about the SPA and its preservation efforts.