IX THE RAG-SHOP SCHOOL
ON the corner of Frankford Road and Atlantic Street there stood a dilapidated three-story building. When the lot was purchased this building was regarded as a ruin. The windows were out, the roof leaked and the floors were dangerous. No one had the least thought of its being of any value. It had been built after the year 1849 for it does not appear on the map of that date. It was used as a feed store, and no doubt did a thriving business when the toll gate stood directly across the street. In later years it had become a ragman’s dump. The lower floor was the only part that was used, although a block and tackle still hung from the top window in the rear. The yard was filled with unsaleable junk. The tenant, who had promised to clean up, saw difficulties ahead, and departed to an address unknown. The whole lot was surrounded by high bill-boards.
When Mother Isador of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary called to see me with reference to the future school she happened to notice this wretched building. From the beginning of the parish she had sent us two Sisters, Cyrenia and Sacred Heart, from Frankford to take charge of our Sunday School. I took her to see the purchased properties to convince her that it was impossible to start the school which the Sisters had already contracted to serve. The ruin on the Medford property had already attracted her attention.“There’s your school,” she exclaimed.
I was dumbfounded. She insisted on entering the building which was a risky matter, since the lower floor was actually fallen in places and the cellar was full of vermin. She gathered up her skirts and went over the premises, even going up to the top of the third floor. She assured me that a school of the six lower grades could, and therefore should, be started at once. This was on July 23.There was no time to lose if a school was to be started in the Fall. We had only just finished the work on the Rectory and Chapel. I knew that it would not only be unfair to ask for more voluntary work; it would be quite impossible to do all that was to be done in such a way within the time limits. We needed money at once. A monster carnival on the school lot provided $8,000. With this I paid for the improvements that were necessary, hiring the labor and acting as treasurer. It was an expensive way to build as I soon found out. The whole sum was needed before the ruined house was rehabilitated. The brickwork was pointed; the joists were pulled through the walls and replaced; new floors were laid where necessary; electric light was supplied; plumbing and under-drainage was provided; a steam-heat system with furnace was installed; then there was roofing, painting and plastering. It would have been cheaper to have pulled everything down and started afresh. This I found out afterwards.
Nevertheless I profited by experience. The school was ready by September 8th. It opened with 182 children. Meanwhile the school lot had to be cleaned up. It was a terrible job. Night after night a number of men assembled with shovels and rakes. We had piles of newspapers to burn. They were pressed into the earth to a depth of several feet and repre sented the accumulation of years. There were huge stacks of rubber horsepads which were found to be quite worthless. We had to load them into carts. The cellar was the first job that we tackled; here we disturbed the dwelling of numerous rats which were all destroyed. Fires were smoldering every evening on the lot. I do not know what the neighbors must have thought. Perhaps they were glad to see an eye sore disappearing. The bill-boards were removed. Eventually everything was made tidy and by the time that the children came to school there was a very convenient yard for their recreation.The old building stood for many years yet. It served as a school until the Fall of 1923 when the permanent building was ready for use. As early as September 1920 a Catholic Club met on the top floor which was not needed for classrooms for the first year. This Club after a temporary banishment from 1921 to 1923 (when it assembled at the south-west corner of Emerald and Tioga Streets) returned in the latter year and took over the whole building. For about seven years the Catholic Club had a struggling existence. At times it experienced prosperity and even achieved fame in athletics, especially in long-distance running. Amongst its devoted supporters were Neil Crosson, Harry Hughes and James Ratigan. Unfortunately it was never self supporting and it became a financial burden, depending on various money-raising activities.
After it ceased to exist the building remained unoccupied until 1934 when it was demolished together with all the other buildings on Frankford Avenue. There were a number of young people who mourned the disappearance of the old house. Within its walls they had started school; from it our first class was graduated. Nevertheless it was not demolished one day too soon. It was discovered that its bricks were of very inferior grade and in some places the walls were powdering into dust; dry rot had even attacked the new joists and many of them were hanging to the walls by a few fibres. Peace to its memory. It stood us in good stead and enabled us to start a school three years earlier than would otherwise have been possible.
Photo: Catholic Historical Research Center Digital Collections
Photo previously posted by John Rowe in other social media.
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