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History of the Province

Cumberland Memories

(Part 8) - The Great Wall And The Fabulous White Elephant

This now opened the way for the building of the "Great Wall of Cumberland." In 1902 the City of Cumberland laid out Johnson and Cumberland Streets. In consequence of the excavation, the friary garden had to be supported against possible landslides. As only a massive stone wall could serve the purpose, the definition gave its consent to build. (Epp 1903 n. 1).

Sell Brothers and Company, Stone Masons, contracted to build the wall, and Frank J. Brookman, the father of Capuchin Fathers Bertrand, Felician, and Lambert, and a partner in the firm, supervised the building of the wall, which took nearly a year. (Brookman document, Parish Archiv.)

Since a very deep excavation was needed to reach rock bottom at Johnson and Cumberland Streets, the original cost rose another $300, but this part was absorbed by the City. The remaining $10,374.79 was paid by the Capuchins. (Epp 1903 n. 1).

At its tallest point this massive wall is 31 feet high and 15 feet thick. The area behind the wall is filled in with dirt up to about seven feet from the top. There were no power tools or power lifts at the time it was built. Everything had to be done by hand or with block and tackle.

During the construction, Fr. Aloysius Kausler, the Guardian, kept telling Frank Brookman to make the wall higher, to which Frank answered that it was high enough. Aloysius countered, "I don't want these young students (the clerics) looking over it." Frank caught sight of old Bro. Roger, who at that time was a man, noted for his giant size and strength, and parried, "What about Brother Roger?" Aloysius replied, "I don't care if he sits on it all day and gawks over it."

Roger actually was never known as a loafer. At times he would come down to the job, pitch in and help. As the wall rose, dirt was hauled to fill in the inside. To facilitate wheeling the dirt, planks were laid down on the loose ground. Roger filled a wheelbarrow so full the dirt spilled over on all sides. Instead of using the planks, he took a short cut across the loose soil, dumped the dirt, and repeated the feat. Not to be outdone, the best laborer on the job filled his wheelbarrow just as full, started through the loose dirt, but could not budge it. He immediately walked down to Frank Brookman and told him, "Frank, I quit!" "Please don't, I need you, I'll give you more money." "No, I am satisfied with my pay, but I won't let any man outwork me." Nothing could persuade him to stay. (Brookman document).

The only other major building project on the lots, of which the Capuchins had the simple use, was the sacristy extension and the two-story passage way connecting the sacristy and friary proper. This building, which thus formed a rectangular courtyard bounded by the sacristy, church, friary, and connecting link itself, was built in 1919 and 1920 by the minister, Benedict Wich, so as to provide space for a recreation room for the priests, quarters for lay employees, and a library, as well as a means of entering the sacristy without going outside or through the church. (Cumb. Chron. 387). As it turned out, the priests never recreated there; the friars seldom, if ever, had lay employees; and though the library was moved there, It proved so cold during the winter that the friars reluctantly lugged the thousands of books back into the main building. The wing quickly became a storage area, known as Fr. Benedict's White Elephant - a name that has stuck with it for decades.

Later when the Capuchin Brothers Training Center was in operation, the lower floor of the White Elephant was converted into a series of shops: a cobbler's shop, a carpentry shop, a plumbing shop, and a gardener's shed.

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