# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1911_S66
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

66 Proceedings of the 28th General or

As early as June 11, 1908, we were able to complete the sale of our
property in Hawthorne. Unfortunately, however, the papers concerning
the property were so incomplete and inaccurate that the final
transfer could not take place until October 1. We were eventually
compelled to obtain a new deed from the original owner.

On June 26, 1908, with suitable formalities, the school year in
Hawthorne was closed and the first senior class trained at this
gymnasium was graduated. With this farewell ceremony our right of
domicile in Hawthorne ended. In response to our inquiry, we received
from St. Matthew's and St. Luke's congregations in New York the kind
permission to make ourselves at home, as we saw fit, with our
students in the rooms they placed at our free disposal. Expenses for
rent, fuel, and light were spared us through the kindness of these
two congregations. The three upper classes were assigned to St.
Matthew's church, the three lower ones to St. Luke's church. Just as
quickly the other knot was untied: where to house the teachers?
Professors Stein, Schmidtke, and Schwoy decided — to save the synod
expense — to remain in Hawthorne for the time being. Prof. Heintze
moved to Mount Vernon, and suitable lodging in New York was found for
Director Feth and Prof. Heinrichsmeyer as well. Housing the students
caused greater difficulty, since living space in New York is
extremely limited; but in the end we found the necessary lodging for
all of them. The school year opened on September 8, 1908, with 89
students, and instruction continued without notable interruption
until the end of June 1909. Even though the conditions under which
teachers and students worked were not the best imaginable, things
still went better than we had pictured to ourselves.

Construction of the new building began on February 23, 1909. Three
buildings — the instruction, dormitory, and service buildings — were
undertaken. Under God's protecting hand of blessing the buildings
progressed in the following months, so that we were already able, on
November 21, 1909, to dedicate them, as a monument worthy of praise
to Lutheran faith and Lutheran love, to the service of the triune God.
Our fellow believers had streamed in from far and near to rejoice
over the completion of this school, so promising for building up our
Lutheran Zion on the Atlantic coast. Gone, on this festive day, were
the north winds and dark clouds that two days before had covered hill
and valley with a blanket of snow and ice, and that set in again with
all their unpleasantness on November 23. The breezes blew soft and
mild, the day was bright and warm, so that quite spontaneously
everyone praised the goodness of God also for this, that he had given
us such extraordinarily good weather in this otherwise so harsh
season. The dedication celebration was an uplifting occasion that