It is with great enthusiasm that the school has completed the long overdue renovation of the gymnasium. Original construction of the gym was completed in September 1901. It was named Verdi Hall by the founding pastor of St. Columbkille Church, Father Rossi, who was a fan of the Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi. At that time, the space was used as a performance hall.
Quoting from the program on the day it was dedicated, “Saint Columbkille’s School has been built on the latest and most approved methods of school building. There is no contrivance or arrangement for successful heating, lighting or ventilating a school, that is not found in this building.”
The restoration required the stripping away of a century of varnish, repairing the many holes in the ceiling, restoring the ornamentation, and repainting the walls using historical colors of the day. The work was painstaking but worth it. When the students entered the gym for the first time this year, the smiles on their faces lit up the already bright and cheery space!
“A great deal of gratitude must be given to the donors who helped us restore the gym and replace the ventilation system,” says Head of School, Dr. William Gartside. “We are incredibly blessed to have donors who continue to support Catholic education at our school.”