Building History

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New 11/11/2006:

I have discovered some historic data about the very start of our School.  By digging into the Dade County records, I found the 1954 documents that put us on the map.  Literally.   Click on the documents underlined below to see the drawings and letters that were the very beginning.     What was proposed to become a High School we now know became a parish, grammar school, a high school and our seminary.

Zoning Hearing Record 
Process Number Z1952000516
Application Name: 	 JOSEPH P. HURLEY, AS BISHOP OF THE DIOCESE OF ST. AUGUSTINE 	Application Date: 	3/22/1952 
Location: 	 S.W. 87 AVE. (GALLOWAY RD.) TO 90 AVE. FROM S. W. 30 TO 32 STS.
County/Muni: 	 MIAMI-DADE COUNTY   	Processor:
Appeal: 	 N  	App Type: 	   	Request: 	  
Units: 	   	Lot Size: 	   	Bldg Sq Ft: 	  
Contact: 	    	Phone / E-mail: 	 () -   /     
Address: 	    	City, State Zip: 	 ,   
Current Zone:	
Zone To:
Board 	Resolution 	Result 	Hearing Date 	Item #
 ACC 	 7031 	 APPROVED 	 5/25/1954 	 
 ACC 	 6817 	 APPROVED WITH CONDITION(S) 	 3/16/1954 	     
Folio 	S 	T 	R
3040160000000  	16  	54  	40 

View Documents (click on the line to see it in a new window)
  RESOLUTION [1]
  RESOLUTION 2ND [2]
  SKETCHES [2]
  APPLICATION [2]
  NOTICES [1]
  OTHER [2]
  HEARING PLAN [2]
  ADDED ITEMS-COV/UT/DIR INTER LTR ETC. [9]
  OTHER LETTERS [1]
  DEPARTMENT COMMENTS MEMO [1]
  OTHER LARGE [2]
  TRANSCRIPTS [1]

Also, for those that might want to do some research on zoning changes at our campus: http://www.miamidade.gov/planzone/track/home.asp

Process Number Z1952000516 (1952)
Process Number Z1959000966 (mentioned in history in 1964 application)
Process Number Z1961000700 (portable incinerator, 1961 denied)
Process Number Z1964000623 (Chapel construction, 1964)

Some pictures used for applications

I also found a blueprints from 1961 and 1977
The 1961 white lines on blue document was part of an application for the Seminary to install an incinerator.   Apparently, there was no reliable garbage pick up in those days, so it was common for businesses to install incinerators to burn waste.   The application was eventually denied.  It's interesting because it shows some details no longer on the campus:
The Refectory & Laboratories building is shown as under construction.
An 80 foot wide "service building" where the High School or "B" building is now.   I don't know what this was used for.   Was it replaced by the HS building?  Or was the HS building built around it?
The old swimming pool behind the Refectory.   Would be interesting if there was still some remnants of it under the parking lot.   While we've seen it in pictures, we now we have measurements to show where it was.
This document clearly shows that the Admin Building was the "College" building in 1961.  The current college building didn't exist.  The "Minor Seminary" building is clearly on the Christopher Columbus side of the fence.   The circle between the campuses seems to be gone on the CC side.   I suspect the division of the campuses is in progress at this point.
An "Existing Caretaker's Residence" approximately where the gym is today.  
The residence that used to be in the very NW corner of the property isn't shown so it must have come after 1961.
The transformer vault pre-dates the College building.  That could explain why it seems somewhat in the way of the view of the Chapel.  It may have been planned to service the whole campus.
The second plan in this document, black lines on white from 1977, was used for the modifications to the campus for St. Brendan's High.  
It added parking spaces near the gym
Conversion of the second floor dorms to classrooms
New tennis and basketball courts
Opening of the north gate on 28th Street.
	

From what I've put together, this is the order of the buildings on campus: 

A building, now within Christopher Columbus, was shared by both schools.    I'm not sure what this building contained.

I think CCHS predated SJV by at least a year.   The building was referred to as the "High School Building" in the year books.  I would like to hear more about how the two schools worked together.   Was there shared faculty?   Where did the students live in the early days?

Next came the Administration Building, now called the A building.    This was a dorm for the college students on the second floor.  It is now part of St. Brendan High.  There was a short-lived chapel on the first floor.

Faculty Residence in February, 1960.

Fall, 1961:  Refectory and the labs upstairs.   Shared between the SJV and SBHS today.

January, 1963 College building, now called the Coleman F. Carroll College Building.   Home of the last temporary chapel before the Main one.

I think it at about this time SJV stopped using the building which is now part of CCHS.  SJV was self sufficient.  

"This sentence in the blueprints section interested me and got me thinking....we lived in the CCHB until Christmas of 1966 and then when we returned from vacation it was a matter of weeks before we all moved in to the New HS Building after which we would have been self sufficient from Columbus. It looks like your time line has it much earlier...just a thought...for you to muse...love the page and thanks for the press on the CDs...I'll send you a progress report soon...  Jim Blachura/69"

1964-65, Main Chapel, the heart of the Campus.

Feb, 1967 the New High School Building.  Now called the B building and part of St. Brendan.

The Gym/Pool Complex.    Now dedicated to Fr. Thomas Dennehy, the Founding Principal of St. Brendan.

The was the end of construction for many years.    In 1975, the High School Seminary ends and St. Brendan High opens.  The Admin building, High School building and labs are used by St. Brendan.   The Refectory is owned by the College, but used by the high school for lunch.  

1982?  The Maytag Library.   This moved the College Library out of the College building.

 

If anyone can add to this information, or offer corrections, please let me know by e-mail.

 

If you know anyone related to SJV, please tell them about this site.    If you have ANYthing to contribute, please e-mail me.