The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-04-18
WILL COME DOWN.
ST. Roses Academy Being
Torn Down.
The Workmen's Pick and Shovel
Completing the Ruin Which Was
Begun by the Flames.

The work of destruction begun by the
flames at st. Roses Academy. out on
Golden Gate avenue, near Steiner street,
some months ago. is now being rapidly
completed by the workmen's hammer and
shovel and il will not be long before the
last vestige of the familiar landmark will
be removed, and its existence only men,
DRY cherished by those whose years OF
study within its walls suggest recollections
that are always pleasant
1t is now more than sixteen years since
the institution was founded on IT'S recent
site. As long ago as 1876 the Dominican
sisters, who had previously main tanned a
school on BranDan street, determined to
establish a school out toward the park,
and when the academy was located there
it was veritable pioneer in that part of
the city known as the Western Addition.
Its only neighbors we're the sand dunes,
shifting and drifting with the winds from
the ocean, and for several years its pupils
were mostly boarders, there being but few
day scholars in that vicinity.
But the sisters builded wisely. The city
reached out toward them. slowly at first.
but in more recent years they found themaa
selves in the very center of thckly p0pu-
lated district, with scores of homes and
hundreds of children waiting for their
care. For some time the school has been
one Of the leading educational centers of
the city in point of the numbers in attend
ance, while the character of its instruction
did not fall below is rank.
Then came the fire. Late at night the
inmates were aroused with scarce time left
for escape, and the entire upper portion of
the building was burned, while the lower
st0 m of TN
make it almost impossible to repair them,
and to have undertaken such a work
would have meant almost the rebuilding of
the academy. This the conditions would
not justify. The building, while admira-
bly, located. presented architectural pro-
portions that were anything but satisfac-
tory Although the institution runs 2l0
feet of frontage on the avenue. but
small portion of this space was utilized, its
five floors furnishing. at a great expense
of convenience, the room which might have
been afforded by more extensive ground
plan.
Indeed, its boxlike appearance has long
since been source OF regret 10 the owners
of the somewhat pretentious residences
which grace that locality. and as the
debris is rapidly being hauled away, it
gives no little satisfaction that the old
structure is to be succeeded by some more
slightly building.
But while IL mas Deen declded 10 destroy
what remains of the old academy. it is as
vet uncertain whether the new one which
is to be built will rise from the former
site, or be located somewhere in the vicin-
ity. There is no intention of abandoning
that section of the city, which is other
wise poorly provided for, and the flourish
ing school which had been built no is still
being maintained as best it can in the base
ment of the church of the Sacred Heart,
on Fell street, near Fillmore.
If the lot can be sold, and it is valuable
the money thus obtained will go far
toward eQuipping the new school, which
would then be built on other property in
the same vicinity. A fair given come time
ago tn the pavilion netIed some $1,000, and
this, along with other resources, will en-
able the sisters to rebuild soon, il that is
considered desirable. In any event, The
academy will OF be far from its old loca-
ton.