Saint David’ s Next Era of Growth Has Begun
By Peter Martin
In May of 2025, Director of Facilities Mark Poelle sat down with Saint David’ s Strategic Communications Department to discuss the physical growth of the school. For the past 18 years, Poelle has overseen a vast campus expansion, and with the backdrop of the 75th anniversary, Saint David’ s continued evolution is at the forefront.
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Commencing the renovation of Graham House was a game-changer for us,” recounted Poelle,“ It kick-started a development wave that forever changed the school.” The project, led by a team of 20, aimed to adapt the building to the school’ s curricular needs and included significant updates, including the Otto-Bernstein Theatre and Price Family Gymnasium. With Saint David’ s recent acquisition of 15 East 88th Street, the fourth and final Cutting Townhouse, the campus has a sense of totality. As shared by Headmaster David O’ Halloran,“ The confluence of luck and design propelled our first expansion in 1953, from our single building at 12 East 89th Street, the first of four townhouses comprising the Delano and Aldrich-designed Cutting Family compound, into the two adjacent Cutting townhouses, Numbers 14 and 16. Inspired design struck again in 1972 when, anticipating that the school’ s needs would once again evolve, the school had the foresight to acquire Graham House, which now provides our boys with a STEAM suite, performance space and athletic facilities second to none in our City.”
In May of 2022, Saint David’ s proudly announced the acquisition of the fourth and final Cutting Townhouse, 15 East 88th Street, thereby launching the next exciting chapter of expansion. As expressed in the official Saint David’ s press release of three years ago,“ The unprecedented opportunity to acquire contiguous, adjacent property was met with design in the form of swift, decisive action by our board, enabled by the prudent fiscal stewardship that has long been a hallmark of our institution. As a fortuitous aside, given the classical tradition of balance around the four pillars of Academics, Athletics, Arts and Spirituality that has guided the school since its beginning, there is a fitting completeness to reuniting all four Cutting homes within the Saint David’ s family. Perhaps more fitting still, our boys’ good fortune is now made manifest by the school’ s horseshoe footprint that encircles Madison Avenue from East 89th to East 88th Street.”
Just as the case was with the Graham House undertaking more than 50 years ago, this acquisition will ensure the continued growth and success of Saint David’ s for generations of boys to come. The addition of 15 East 88th( a gracious twin to 12 East 89th, best observed now from Hume Library) creates an increase of 12,000 + square ft. of space to enhance the school’ s academic curriculum and address future programmatic endeavors. The addition of an adjacent backyard also increases the school’ s outdoor play space by a third, providing a critical
8 • Saint David’ s Magazine
Mark Poelle, Director of Facilities at Saint David’ s