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I don’t know if I should steal JW’s thunder but …
.
.
.
.
Irving School on NE Glendale.
Who was its most famous alum?
I used to volunteer there and actually wrote their 100th anniversary booklet, probably the only worthwhile thing I’ve ever done. I love this building, the principal and the people in it. I hope they don’t close Irving, but things being what they are, they likely will.
The style of this building is Flemish Renaissance, by the way. And the ironwork over the entranceway is beautiful.
Where did you go to school? White? Or Lincoln? You should see the new Lincoln — it’s nice and modern, but I liked the old building better. They finally reopened Greeley as an alternative school, but there always seems to be some talk of closing it again. I walk on the Near North Side quite a bit and think it’s a great neighborhood, but I must confess, a lot of what I see concerns me.
You know, no sooner did I write that about the most famous alum than I wondered if Richard Pryor did go to school there. You’re right, they filmed part of the movie at the school. I’ll have to find out whether he was actually a student.
… but that is different from being an alum. So I stand corrected.
I still call the school on Sheridan “Bergan.”
JW — Where was St. Mary’s?
All this is making me wonder, is St. Cecilia’s still standing? I don’t think it’s used for anything these days. Guess I’ll have to drive by and check it out.
St. Mary’s was at 421 NE Jefferson Street, at Bryan. Opened in 1903. Closed in 1967. Reopened later as St. Patrick’s School North, which closed in 1975. Used for a time as an alternative high school. Demolished in 1978 and now used for parking. The school was directly behind the Academy Of Our Lady, which is/was on Madison.
The official name of the school was St. Mary’s Cathedral School and our nickname was “The Crusaders” (don’t hear that term much these days). St. Mary’s was the school “attached” to St. Mary’s Cathedral, at Madison and Green Streets. It seemed we spent as much time in the church as in school. Most graduates went to Spalding/Academy or the poor folks, like me, went to Woodruff.
And now I’m wondering why I still remember the first few lines of our “fight song”. I need to go to bed.
When I was growing up, my paper route was on Jefferson St. It started at Jefferson and Western Ave. and went down past Earnie’s and Szold’s. I know it’s the other side of downtown, but at 11 years old, I had my fair share of experiences.
June 2nd, 2006 at 1:07 pm
I know! I know!
June 2nd, 2006 at 9:32 pm
I don’t know if I should steal JW’s thunder but …
.
.
.
.
Irving School on NE Glendale.
Who was its most famous alum?
I used to volunteer there and actually wrote their 100th anniversary booklet, probably the only worthwhile thing I’ve ever done. I love this building, the principal and the people in it. I hope they don’t close Irving, but things being what they are, they likely will.
The style of this building is Flemish Renaissance, by the way. And the ironwork over the entranceway is beautiful.
Drive by and check it out for yourself.
June 3rd, 2006 at 12:17 am
My thunder gets stolen often, I hardly notice.
I grew up about 5 blocks down the street from Irving, but didn’t go to school there.
I know they filmed part of “Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling” there, but don’t remember if Pryor went to school there or not.
June 3rd, 2006 at 12:30 pm
Where did you go to school? White? Or Lincoln? You should see the new Lincoln — it’s nice and modern, but I liked the old building better. They finally reopened Greeley as an alternative school, but there always seems to be some talk of closing it again. I walk on the Near North Side quite a bit and think it’s a great neighborhood, but I must confess, a lot of what I see concerns me.
You know, no sooner did I write that about the most famous alum than I wondered if Richard Pryor did go to school there. You’re right, they filmed part of the movie at the school. I’ll have to find out whether he was actually a student.
m.
June 3rd, 2006 at 2:00 pm
m…
A PJS story says that Pryor went to Blaine-Sumner, article here..
http://www.pjstar.com/stories/052806/TRI_B9U0IKKE.032.shtml
I went to St. Mary’s (now a parking lot) and Woodruff (and a short stint at Bergan).
The near north side was my stomping grounds from about age 6 to 14, before moving up in the world to Averyville.
June 4th, 2006 at 11:52 am
Historic Peoria says he “attended” Irving, but the PJStar article says “alumnis” of Blaine-Sumner.
http://www.historicpeoria.com/entry.php?eid=244&catid=1&cid=1
June 4th, 2006 at 10:58 pm
Thanks PI! Apparently someone on the historic preservation commission agrees there is a Pryor connection …
http://www.pjstar.com/stories/052506/TRI_B9TL9RKE.057.shtml
… but that is different from being an alum. So I stand corrected.
I still call the school on Sheridan “Bergan.”
JW — Where was St. Mary’s?
All this is making me wonder, is St. Cecilia’s still standing? I don’t think it’s used for anything these days. Guess I’ll have to drive by and check it out.
m.
June 5th, 2006 at 1:34 am
m…..
St. Mary’s was at 421 NE Jefferson Street, at Bryan. Opened in 1903. Closed in 1967. Reopened later as St. Patrick’s School North, which closed in 1975. Used for a time as an alternative high school. Demolished in 1978 and now used for parking. The school was directly behind the Academy Of Our Lady, which is/was on Madison.
The official name of the school was St. Mary’s Cathedral School and our nickname was “The Crusaders” (don’t hear that term much these days). St. Mary’s was the school “attached” to St. Mary’s Cathedral, at Madison and Green Streets. It seemed we spent as much time in the church as in school. Most graduates went to Spalding/Academy or the poor folks, like me, went to Woodruff.
And now I’m wondering why I still remember the first few lines of our “fight song”. I need to go to bed.
You can see a postcard of St. Mary’s on my site at:
http://www.peoriahistory.com/schoolcathgrade.html
I’m pretty sure St. Cecelia’s is closed, at least as a school.
April 30th, 2008 at 10:08 am
When I was growing up, my paper route was on Jefferson St. It started at Jefferson and Western Ave. and went down past Earnie’s and Szold’s. I know it’s the other side of downtown, but at 11 years old, I had my fair share of experiences.