I attended Cardinal Hayes HS from 1946 to 1950. All freshmen had to attend one of the various annexes located around the city. Since I lived in the Bronx, I was assigned to one in the northeast Bronx, which required an interminable trolley ride, with two changes. I don't remember details, but I recall walking across Claremont Park to catch the northbound trolley on Webster Ave. I then changed trolleys at Tremont Ave. This went a little further north on Webster and then turned right on ?180St?. Then there was another change at ?West Farms? and finally to the annex at ??? (St.Bernards?) I think the walk and trolley ride consumed about 75 minutes. If they had let me attend the Manhattan Annex, I think I could have gotten there in about 20 minutes via subway. Can anyone fill in some of the details about the trolley route and about that Annex. I do remember the Irish Christian Brothers, and some of them did mete out physical punishment. I also recall that finally getting to the main building at 153rd and Grand Concourse was such a relief, that the freshman year experience was thoroughly and gladly forgotten.

Hi Pete, that annex you attended was at my Alma Mater...St Helena(69) out on Hutchinson River PKWY. I took the same route to school (by Bus)BTW..where did you live near Claremont Park?? I lived at 173/Clay..just 1 block from the park from 1957-65

Mike,

I don't think the annex was St. Helena. I'll have to check my transcript from Hayes (If I can remember where I stashed it) because I'm pretty sure that the first year grades are shown under the name of the annex. I lived at 1466 Morris Avenue, between 171st and 172nd Street, right across from Taft HS. I'd walk to 172nd, turn right, walk a few hundred feet, past College Ave, cross to Teller Ave., and enter Claremont Park at the Teller Ave. entrance. If they had let me attend the Manhattan annex, I would have walked up 172nd st. to Sheridan Ave, turned left and walked to 171st, turned right and there would be the IND. I don't recall where the Manhattan annex was, but I'm sure it wouldn't have been more than 20 minutes, instead of the 75 that it took to get out to wherever it was (Unionport?). I had attended Our Lady of Victory School at 171st and Webster. One of my classmates (class of 1946) lived near where you lived, but would have graduated Hayes when I did, in 1950. His name was Bob Dinkel.

Pete

Small World Pete, I am OLV Class of 65!. I have spoken to another Hayes grad (Class of 56) who also attended the Bronx Annex and it was most definitely on the St Helena Campus out on the Hutch. Just received an E-Mail from another Hayes grad who confirmed that you would have been at that annex during that time era.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mike McWatt,

Hi Mike,

I just completed a heavy memory search, augmented by a search of parishes in the Bronx. Here's what I came up with. The Hayes Freshman Annex I attended was Holy Family at 2158 Watson Ave. The Google map I printed out confirmed it, since Unionport and Castle Hill Ave are nearby designations which popped out of my memory. I also checked St. Helena, which is at 1315 Olmstead Ave, at the intersection with Westchester Ave. This is a matter of 6-8 blocks from Holy Family, but the CBE runs between the two churches. I presume there are underpasses for both Castle Hill and Olmstead. My guess is that at some point Holy Family terminated its role as the Hayes Freshman Annex, and the Archdiocese recruited St. Helena to serve. I have no idea whether Hayes still operates Freshman Annexes. I did a "get directions" from my old address at 1466 Morris Ave. to Holy Family, and of course, I was routed to Jerome Ave to enter the CBE which took me to the Castle Hill Ave. exit and then to 2158 Watson. The distance given is 4.5 miles and the duration about 7 minutes. My recollection of interminable trolley rides, sure made it seem a lot farther, and, including my walk across Claremont Park to Webster Ave., the trip was about 75 minutes (I think; possibly less, but certainly an hour!) I think my problem is solved. I wrote an e-mail to the principal at Hayes to see what they come up with. This kind of stuff is fun, dontcha think?

Pete

Yes it is!! Let me know what you find out... The Saint Helena Parish Church is at Olmstead...However the High School Campus is located out on the Hutchinson River Parkway approach to the Whitestone Bridge. Both of the Hayes grads that I spoke to said they attended freshman year at that location. Please let me know what you find out when the school replies to your E-Mail.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mike McWatt,

Hi Mike,

Yes, I'm certain now that my Hayes Annex was at Holy Family. The geographic info that I unearthed has dredged up my memories. For some reason "St. Bernard's" was fixed in my mind, but that apparently was the location of the lower Manhattan Hayes annex during my era. I have some material written up on my experience there in 46-47 which I may submit to Steve and Susan for possible publication in BITB. And, yes, the Irish Christian Brothers, who were great teachers, did knock some of us around during that year. I have only fond recollections of most of them, and no psychological scars from getting whacked a few times.

If I hear from Hayes with additional info, I'll post it.

Pete

Thanks Pete, learned something new today!

quote:

Originally posted by Mike McWatt:
Small World Pete, I am OLV Class of 65!. I have spoken to another Hayes grad (Class of 56) who also attended the Bronx Annex and it was most definitely on the St Helena Campus out on the Hutch. Just received an E-Mail from another Hayes grad who confirmed that you would have been at that annex during that time era.

Mike,

In 2001 I visited the Bronx. A friend was driving and I asked him to do a quick ride down Webster Ave. to 171st St. I saw no sign of my well-remembered Our Lady of Victory church and school. Mike was in a hurry to get headed back to CT, so we swung a quick u-turn before I had a chance to really look around. The archdiocese still lists OLV at 1512 Webster, which is the old address, I think. Can you confirm that a new church/school sits there now? As I said, I graduated from there in 1946, nineteen years before you did. If changes were indeed made, was it before you graduated? All kinds of memories are flooding back as I write this.

Pete

quote:

Originally posted by MamboPete:

quote:

Originally posted by Mike McWatt:
Small World Pete, I am OLV Class of 65!. I have spoken to another Hayes grad (Class of 56) who also attended the Bronx Annex and it was most definitely on the St Helena Campus out on the Hutch. Just received an E-Mail from another Hayes grad who confirmed that you would have been at that annex during that time era.

Mike,

In 2001 I visited the Bronx. A friend was driving and I asked him to do a quick ride down Webster Ave. to 171st St. I saw no sign of my well-remembered Our Lady of Victory church and school. Mike was in a hurry to get headed back to CT, so we swung a quick u-turn before I had a chance to really look around. The archdiocese still lists OLV at 1512 Webster, which is the old address, I think. Can you confirm that a new church/school sits there now? As I said, I graduated from there in 1946, nineteen years before you did. If changes were indeed made, was it before you graduated? All kinds of memories are flooding back as I write this.

Pete

Pete, OLV is very much alive and well in the original building at 171/Webster..the school was closed back in the late 80's when the enrollment dropped due to the fact that the new immigrants in the neighborhood could not afford the tuition...as I said, the Church is still open and active...the Pastor has been there since 1983 and was just recently elevated to Msgr. I have a beautiful 8x10 photo of the Church sitting on top my entertainment center...BTW the classrooms as you remember them are all in use for religious education for the Public School students in the Parish. The Parish will celebrate it's 100th Anniversary in 2009. I most definitely want to be there for that reunion!

Mike,

Any chance you could scan that photo of OLV and attach it to an e-mail? PWKal@aol.com

Pete

Pete, I don't have a scanner,but I'll get someone at work to do it for me. I'll let you know when it's ready.

Mike,

Many thanks for going to that trouble. The simplest would be for your friend to send you an e-mail with the image attached, and then you just forward it to me. When we got a new computer about 18 months ago, we got a scanner with it. Best piece of computer equipment ever. If your computer is compatible with one, go for it.

Pete

Good idea, let me try and contact one of my classmates from Class of 65 who has the picture and the scanner and I'll have him send it to me and then I can forward as you suggested.

Mike,

Thanks again. I'll look forward to seeing that picture. Did you ever read "World's Fair" by E.L. Doctorow? The scene in that book is set in our old neighborhood - the area just north of Claremont Park. It was reading that book in the mid 90s that really kicked off my Bronx nostalgia. The book's time frame is in the late 30s, so it fits mine pretty well, having arrived in the Bronx from Germany in 1941. They started me in the 3rd grade at OLV, which put me half a year ahead of my age group. My memories of the nuns are all very affectionate. They were really sweet and dedicated, and wonderful teachers.

Pete

Amen to that Pete...My principal at OLV in the mid 60's is still alive at the Dominican Convent in Blauvelt. She just celebrated her 70th anniversary as a nun. God bless her and all those dedicated sisters down through the years!

Mike,

I just wanted to let you know that the Cardinal Hayes office hasn't answered my e-mail about the history of Bronx freshman annexes. However, as I said previously, I am certain now that Holy Family was the annex for my freshman year in 1946-1947. I'm still trying to piece together the routes for the three trolleys I had to take to get there. Apparently all the trolleys were replaced by buses by 1948, so my year of trolley riding was very close to the end of that means of transport. Too bad. The air was much cleaner without the buses' exhaust fumes, but I suppose the trolleys did interfere with traffic flow, and were high maintenance.

Pete, you are absolutely right...I stand corrected.I did some research and discovered that the High School Campus for St Helena's Parish did not open on the Hutch River PKWY until 1949...that was the first Hayes freshman class that attended at that location.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mike McWatt,

Hi Mike,

Did your research determine whether the Irish Christian Brothers who taught the Hayes freshmen at Holy Family moved en masse to the St. Helena annex in 1949? That would make sense. I've wondered about what became of my Brother McMullen. If he is still living, he would probably be about 85 or 86 years old. I've always been under the impression that the nuns and brothers were long-lived.

Pete

I think they moved over to the new Campus at St Helena..I have a good friend here in town that is a 1956 Hayes grad and he told me that the Christian Brothers have been at Hayes since the school was opened by Cardinal Spellman