On February 18, 1915, Fr. Quinn acquired the first of four lots which, in years to come, would be the
site of the new church. In 1919, two lots adjoining the church-school on the upper end of Creedmoor were purchased. Then,
July 24, 1922, Fr. Quinn purchased a second lot on Chelton Avenue. This 60’ x 235’ tract was to become the foundation
of the new church which was to be built as soon as enough funding could be secured. The school was to undergo a two-stage
metamorphosis during the 1920’s—boom years for many folks in Brookline. The heads of most families were gainfully
employed, and newcomers continued to make their homes here, and to send their children to Resurrection school. Enrollment
jumped above the 400 mark in 1923. So, the parish hired a contractor to construct another wing onto the school, making it
U-shaped. The new space added three classrooms on the upper side of the building next to the current church.
However, that expansion was not enough. Between 1924 and 1928 the Liberty Tubes and the Liberty Bridge were opened.
This made the trip between Brookline and downtown a short ride of less than 30 minutes. In 1926 the parish acquired two more
lots across from the school. Meanwhile, the population of Brookline kept growing, and in 1926 there were 626 families in the
parish, and 596 children attending the school. The transportation improvements brought even more new neighbors, and by 1928,
there were nearly 800 children receiving their education at Resurrection.
The
top floor of the school, two stories above the Church, was still being used as a meeting hall; but in 1927 it gave way to
the need for additional classrooms. A year later the back section of the building was added to join the two wings of the U-shaped
building into a rectangle. This added six new classrooms to the school.
Resurrection school made use of this space until
the post-World War II baby boom.
