The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-06-18

ST. J0sEPH'S CONVENT
Handsome Building in Course
Of Erection in Monsig-
nor Seton's Parish.
CONTRACTORS HARD At WORK
Ample Accommodation to Be
Provided for the Sisters
Among the Churches.
CONTRACTORS HARD At WORK

St Joseph's parish, on the Heights,
ranks among the largest dn the city, and
web it mai for there is rone more pros
porous. Under Monsignor Seton the par
ish has made wonderful strides. and the
prosperous conditions in which it Is now,
is the result of his many years of indie
fatigable labor.
The latest addition to the parish build
ings will be the Sisters Convent, which
is in the course of construction. on the
piece of property bounded by Magnolia
and Baldwin avenues. and which was
formerly used as a playground for the put
pills of the parish school. This piece OF
property was almost of solid rock, and
much blasting was required before a suf-
hcient depth had been reached for the
basement. The new convent will fill a
long felt want, for the present building on
Magnolia avenue, adjoining the church,
is far too small for the Sisters. The
house Is a. very pretty one being sur
| rounded by a number of shade trees and
flower beds. 1t is two stories high, and
| contains about six rooms. The new com
vent will be fully three times the size Of
the old home.
GOIittlHllS nht SIN fWcthS d5O IN q
ing was started on the rock in the prop
erty where the new home for the sisters
is being erected. This work was COM
| pleted last Saturday evening. The mason
work. which is rapidly being pushed, was
begun on Monday morning, and the cell
lar walls have been finished. The divid-
ing wall has advanced to a height of
twenty feet. From the basement for a
distance of six feet. brown stone will be
laid, and the masons are now busy with
that part of the work.
Monsignor Seton said that there would
| be no corner stone laid in the building,
and tina there would be no ceremonies of
4 any kind. The basement is composed of
two cellars, each II by "a feet, and a
laundry and boiler room. There will be
an area in the rear Of the building 5 by
40 feet. The building is fifty-four feet
deep, and has a frontage of forty feet on
Baldwin avenue. On the first floor, there
will be the chapel and saeristy. on the
northeast side, and the kitchen, dining
room and the room of the Mother Super
4 Tor on the southwest side. On the second
floor there are nine rooms including the
community room. There are also eight
rooms on the third floor. The entire
building will be of red brick, with terra
Gotta and brown stone trimmings, and
! the specifications call for the completion
of the structure by the first of Novem-
Der. In all. the building will cost in the
neighborhood of q 1900. John Wheelihan
& Sons are the masons.
John Wheelihan has been a resident OF
this city for the largest part of his life,
and he has one the mason work on many
of the Jersey City churches. In 1859, when
st. Joseph's parish was in its youth. Mr.
Wheelihan built the first church for that
parish. It was rather a small building,
Of brick, and stood where the large church
now stands. Father Vanuta was then the
rector of ST Joseph's, being the first IS
labor in that field. The late Archbishop
| Bailey, of Baltimore, who. at that time
was Bishop OF the Newark Diocese, laid
the corner stone. After Father Vanuta
had passed away, Monsignor Seton took
charge of the parish, and 1t was under
him thai the present church was erected.
This church was built about 1870. The
rectory OF the church is having an addi-
tional wing built, on the southern corner
as of late the priests have been eramped
for room. There will be five rooms in the
new wing. On the first floor there will be
two rooms for the guests, on the second,
MoasigIor Seton'S reading room, and the
/ third, TWO spare rooms. This addition
was started about two months ago, and
will be completed within another month,