by Bea Peterson
Like a long sleeping benevolent dragon, the old St. Mary’s Academy is slowly lifting its head, spreading its imaginary wings and coming back to life. That new life is being created by Capital District entrepreneur and realtor Jasen Von Guinness.
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According to a piece from the Town of Hoosick Historical Society, St. Mary’s Academy opened on September 8, 1891 with 600 children. The old building closed as a school in 1956. Since that closing it has outwardly remained its majestic self. Inside it has been vandalized, abused and slowly deteriorating. Over time several people have had imaginative ideas for renovating the former school. None of those ideas have come to fruition… until now.
Von Guinness envisions seven apartments. He and his wife Jessica are already living part time in the entire basement apartment. The three floors above will have two apartments on each floor. Each one bedroom apartment will run the length of the building on either side of the hallway. The spaces are cavernous. Most of the old walls, floors and ceilings will remain as is, only cleaned up.
Von Guinness is pleased with the progress, though slow, to date. “The building is completely rewired,” he said. “And all the new plumbing is complete.” Some of the new bathrooms are nearly finished, with large tile showers. What you can’t see and what is most expensive is that wiring and plumbing. What you do see still needs plenty of work. Take a tour of the building with Von Guinness and you won’t see all the work that needs to be done. You will begin to see the completed project through his eyes and what it will look like soon. Von Guinness can already see the beautifully restored spacious rooms with modern kitchens and bathrooms, fit for a couple or single person. He expects to start working full time on the building himself in July.
It’s an enormous project and Von Guinness is funding it all himself. “Jasen has lofty goals,” said his supportive wife Jessica. “But I’ve never seen him fail.” The couple are thrilled with the interest the community has shown in the building’s restoration. “People are always stopping by to see what’s going on,” she said. They are excited about the community and are looking forward to living here full time in the future. Though that full time may be seasonal as Von Guinness has another big project in mind for a warmer climate to spend winters. [/private]