For years, St. Peter’s Prep has been engaged in a drawn-out legal conflict over something that its unwitting students see every day. A distraction for bored window-watchers in Hogan Hall and MSC, St. Peter’s Grammar School has sat on 137-155 York Street since 1861. Also known as St. Peter’s Hall, the name of an adjacent building constructed in 1898, the two edifices have been owned by Prep since 2004. After being purchased in the same transaction that provided the O’Keefe Commons, it had seen a variety of uses; it once hosted plays, a bookstore, and wrestling practices. However, its history goes back much farther than that.

The grammar school (alongside the hall) is part of the Paulus Hook historic district, which has existed since 1982. It is one of the only pre-Civil War school buildings in New Jersey. It was used as a community meeting spot as well as a school, facilitating conferences for unions, local groups, and more. Woodrow Wilson announced his campaign for governor there in 1910. After St. Peter’s Prep bought the buildings in 2004, they were briefly rented out to a Newark-based charter school before being transitioned to multipurpose use for the high school. Things would continue that way until disaster struck years later.

Superstorm Sandy ravaged Paulus Hook in October of 2012, and perhaps no property in the area suffered as much as St. Peter’s Grammar School. Described as a storm only seen every one hundred years, it caused over $70 billion of property damage and left 8.5 million people without electricity. As a perceptive Marauder walking through the Campus Ministry Lounge could tell you, Prep did not escape unscathed. The school experienced seven feet of flooding in its basement and lost its boiler, which was kept inside the grammar school. Ultimately, however, most of the buildings on the west side of Warren Street recovered from the water damage. This was not the case with 137-155. The neighborhood of Paulus Hook, where Prep resides, was mostly constructed upon landfill; early settlers filled the original marshes with gravel, making it possible for permanent structures to be erected. Unfortunately, not all of the land achieved the same firmness. Superstorm Sandy disrupted the fill upon which the grammar school was built, causing a myriad of problems that would render the entire building unsafe for any use. Luckily, the rest of the campus was not affected.

Several engineering firms surveyed the buildings in the years following Sandy, compiling information to find the best course of action for the future. The first thing they noticed was the condition of the floors. Many parts are cracked or uneven, and water damage and mold are pervasive. The mortar on the outer brick walls has deteriorated, and the interior plaster is cracked and damaged. The decay was to such an extent that sheds were erected on the surrounding sidewalks to safeguard the street from falling bricks. The Jersey City Fire Department has also investigated the buildings, and discovered significant amounts of exposed asbestos. Thus, the buildings were deemed unsafe for firefighters to enter. Though this damage may seem relatively superficial, the truth is far more serious. The buildings have developed a considerable lean to the west. “Portions of the upper floors exhibit significant sloping indicating that there has been settlement of the supporting walls, likely resulting from the wall foundations having settled,” wrote GACE Consulting Engineers. “… [S]urveys do show that the building has significantly moved twice over the last almost 10 years; once during Superstorm Sandy and then again years later.” The condition of the hall may already seem dire, but this development is practically damning. A leaning foundation perpetually places additional levels of stress on the outer walls. This, plus the deterioration that came with Sandy and age, means that any attempt to reinforce the structure runs a significant risk of causing a catastrophic collapse. Thus, every party who has investigated the building has recommended demolition- except for one.

Diane S. Kaese is an experienced architect who specializes in historic preservation. She is also the president of the Historic Paulus Hook Association, a nonprofit organization committed to “open space, historic preservation, and responsible development in the Paulus Hook Neighborhood.” Under her leadership, the HPHA, as it is known, has launched a campaign against the demolition of St. Peter’s Grammar School. Having reviewed the situation herself, she believes that the historic edifices could in fact be protected and repaired. “There’s absolutely no reason these buildings can’t be reused,” says Ms. Kaese, speaking to Petroc reporters. The HPHA has accused Prep of “demolition by neglect,” a process by which an owner allows a building to deteriorate over time until restoration becomes impossible. They argue that the grammar school is in fact reparable, and that Prep does not want to because of the high projected cost and complexity of such a project. They also claim that allowing the property to be destroyed would create precedent for other owners of historic buildings to do the same. Their activism was popular and successful, and in 2019, the Jersey City Historic Preservation Commission unanimously voted to deny Prep’s request for demolition.

The school has not given up its campaign yet. Another vote is scheduled for June, having been pushed back from April due to HPHA lobbying. “We have no question the building is historic, but unfortunately, it cannot be fixed. What it would take is not available yet,” said Mr. James Horan, Prep’s vice president. “People say we should’ve known, but no one expected Superstorm Sandy, a once in a hundred-year storm…” said Horan, in response to HPHA criticism. “No one who buys a historic building expects a storm like that.” The school currently has no intention of giving up the fight. For years, Prep has had a master plan for its campus, which designates the replacement for the grammar school. “We understand the history. We know what we are talking about. We would like to put a parking lot there,” said Horan. [NOTE 12/17/22: Mr. Horan has since clarified that the goal of the demolition is to remove a hazard to the community. The parking lot would merely be a short term measure to be put in place after collapse or demolition.] Although this may sound appalling to advocates of historic preservation, he maintains that it is unimportant in the debate. Any replacement for the grammar school would have to go through the same approval process, be it a parking lot or anything else. It would make no difference, as the historic buildings would still be destroyed.

The battle lines have been drawn, and the opposing forces mobilize in wait for their next clash. Prep has been continually amassing more supportive evidence for their case, while the HPHA rallies their base to go and advocate for preservation before local officials. The HPC meeting is yet to be scheduled, but no matter what happens there, either group giving up after defeat is unlikely. Most importantly, however, is that this political issue is one that affects every Prep student– especially those that reside in the neighborhood. If either side of this conflict resonates with you, keep paying attention. They would appreciate one more friendly face at the hearing.

Addendum 11/22/22: Days after this article was completed, the Zoning Board voted to uphold the previous ruling in the early hours of the morning. St. Peter’s Grammar School will remain as it is currently, for now.