Marian Gymnasium - 1947-1948
MaristLand
The gymnasium was built mainly by the student brothers and during the summers by brothers already teaching in
Marist schools, with the brickwork by professional masons. Brother Francis Xavier, psychology and history teacher at
the college, organized and supervised the construction.
A blizzard struck the area around Christmas 1947. The photo below shows the still incomplete building, with no doors
for the three auto garage. A changing room was beyond the garage. The windows in the annex at the left would
become a laundry servicing the novitiate, scholasticate, working brothers, retired brothers, and the juniorate then
located in Esopus.
The main gymnasium was in use during the winter of 1947-1948, but the only heat was provided by a pot-belly stove
at the far corner of the open area. Water and heat were installed during the summer of 1948. The floor was concrete
until the spring of 1950 when a wood floor was installed.



After the McCann Athletic center was complete in 1977, this gymnasium was converted to student housing. Paul
Canin, the architect who designed Leo and Champagnat dormitories designed the conversion, leaving the peaked roof
of the main gym room and adding a second story to each of the annexes. The photo below was taken from one of the
upper floors of the Champagnat dormitory.



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photos by unknown persons. Color photo transferred from Kodak slides
most recent revision September 20, 2012