THERE WAS A HOME/ACADEMY? IN PEEKSKILL, ON A HILL POSSIBLY MAPLE ST?… ST.FLORENCE'S ACADEMY???.. UP UNTIL THE 1990'S, AS I REMEMBER PASSING IT TO SEE IF THE "DUDE RANCH" ON THE SAME ROAD WAS STILL THERE.ABOUT A MILE OR SO UP THE ROAD. . WE WERE OUT FOR A SUNDAY DRIVE AND WANDERING THRU THE AREA, JUST TO SEE WHAT CHANGES THERE WERE.WE ROAD UP THE ROAD TO THE PROPERTY WHERE BUILDINGS ONCE WERE, WITH A 4-5 STORY BUILDING ON ONE SIDE OF CIRCLE AND SMALLER BUILDINGS ATTACHED, ONE A CHAPEL, I THINK. WOULD ANYONE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED AND WHY THAT IT CLOSED? I THINK THE PROPERTY WAS BEING SOLD FOR A LARGE NEW AREA OF SINGLE HOMES? HOW LONG HAD THE ORIGINAL PROPERTY BEEN THERE AND WAS IT A RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY FOR NONES OR A FEMALE ACADEMY. NEVER SEEMED TO BE PEOPLE WALKING AROUND IT,WHICH MADE US CURIOUS.
Hi Pat, That property is no longer a Catholic anything; it's private condos now. Mt. Saint Florence was the name given to the whole property owned by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd. This was located on the north side of RT 202, as you enter the City of Peekskill. One section was established to train young women for the novitiate. About 1957, my mother took us there to visit some family friend's daughter, who was new to the convent. Since I read the sign "Villa Loretto---Home for Wayward Girls" (which was posted for many years), and asked my mother what wayward meant. The second section was called Villa Loretto aka The House of the Good Shepherd. It was not a poshy boarding school or "private" academy. Some young women were admitted voluntarily, others were "committed by courts" in the New York metropolitan area, especially from NYC. Someone related to our "married-ins" was sent there from Brooklyn, circa 1945, as her mother felt she was unmanageable. Pregnant girls were also sent there, although some church affiliated folks may deny it. I was unaware of a nearby horse ranch, until some men in their 50s recently spoke of riding horses to Villa Loretto to flirt with the girls. As you may know, in NYS many religious and nonsectarian institutions, psych hospitals, TB sanitariums, cemeteries, orphanages, "homes" and prisons were established along train lines from NYC, especially along the Hudson line of Metro North. It gave easy access for placements and visitors, under the belief then of getting folks out of the city and into the fresh country air. Peekskill was also home to St. Joseph's Home for about 80 yrs, still homebase for the Franciscan sisters, St Peter's Home [Episcopal], and The Peekskill Military Academy [where the NY Jets first practiced]. I hope this answered your curiosity, Barb http://www.amazon.com/Adoption-agencies-orphanages-maternity-homes/dp/0960420037 Page 264 http://www.maltadonna.com/chapel_hill/history.html ==================================================== From: Pat Lewis [email protected] THERE WAS A HOME/ACADEMY? IN PEEKSKILL, ON A HILL POSSIBLY MAPLE ST?… ST.FLORENCE'S ACADEMY???.. UP UNTIL THE 1990'S, AS I REMEMBER PASSING IT TO SEE IF THE "DUDE RANCH" ON THE SAME ROAD WAS STILL THERE.ABOUT A MILE OR SO UP THE ROAD. . WE WERE OUT FOR A SUNDAY DRIVE AND WANDERING THRU THE AREA, JUST TO SEE WHAT CHANGES THERE WERE.WE ROAD UP THE ROAD TO THE PROPERTY WHERE BUILDINGS ONCE WERE, WITH A 4-5 STORY BUILDING ON ONE SIDE OF CIRCLE AND SMALLER BUILDINGS ATTACHED, ONE A CHAPEL, I THINK. WOULD ANYONE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED AND WHY THAT IT CLOSED? I THINK THE PROPERTY WAS BEING SOLD FOR A LARGE NEW AREA OF SINGLE HOMES? HOW LONG HAD THE ORIGINAL PROPERTY BEEN THERE AND WAS IT A RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY FOR NONES OR A FEMALE ACADEMY. NEVER SEEMED TO BE PEOPLE WALKING AROUND IT,WHICH MADE US CURIOUS.