Historic Pelham: When School Board Balked, Pelham Heights Resident Donated a School, Furnishings and Paid Teachers With His Own Money

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The original Colonial School once stood on the site of today's Colonial Elementary School in Pelham Heights. The first Colonial School was built in 1900. The poorly-designed structure was a two-story brick building with four classrooms and a wooden staircase so noisy that multiple accounts indicate that teachers had to stop lessons when students or visitors moved up or down the staircase. An image of the original Colonial School appears immediately below.

First Colonial School that Stood on the Site of

Today's Colonial Elementary School in an Undated

Photograph, Circa 1905. Source: Pelham Union

Free School District No. 1, [Untitled History of District

Schools], p. 4 [Unnumbered Pages], Visited May 10, 2015.

NOTE: Click Image to Enlarge.

Most Pelhamites believe that the first Colonial School built in 1900 was the first school that stood in Pelham Heights. That, however, is not the case. Indeed, the population of the area was so sparse in the early 1890s that the School Board balked at spending taxpayer funds to provide a local school. Thus, a local resident and developer donated use of a building, purchased school furnishings, and even hired and paid teachers with his own funds to provide a small school for Pelham Heights children.

From the very outset of the development of Pelham Heights by Benjamin L. Fairchild and others, the developers recognized the need for a local school to facilitate the sale of the newly-developed plots in the area and to encourage prospective buyers to move to the area and build lovely homes. With these considerations in mind, Benjamin L. Fairchild lobbied the local School Board to make available public funds to permit the education of local children in Pelham Heights rather than forcing those children to attend the distant Pelhamville School House. According to Fairchild, however, "the School Board thought the number of school children in the Village of Pelham [today's Pelham Heights] insufficient to justify expenditure of public funds."

Consequently, Benjamin L. Fairchild made available to the School Board at no charge a private residence that had been occupied by one of his family members, John F. Fairchild, located at Loring Avenue and Second Street for use as a local school for the children of Pelham Heights. He also purchased school furniture and hired and paid teachers with his own funds to start the school. According to Benjamin L. Fairchild in remarks made at the laying of the cornerstone for today's Colonial Elementary School on November 1, 1926, "for several years to give the few children then here school accomodations I felt compelled to give over for their use without charge a private house and to personally purchase school furniture and employ school teachers." (See below for full article.) The image below, from an article published in 1926, depicts the structure first used as a school in Pelham Heights.

"THE FIRST SCHOOL IN PELHAM HEIGHTS

The residence of John F. Fairchild, built in 1890 at the

southeast corner of Loring Avenue and Second Street"

Source: Hill, Isaac C., PELHAM'S EDUCATIONAL

SYSTEM IN ITS EARLY DAYS, The Pelham Sun,

Oct. 15, 1926, p. 17, cols. 1-5.

NOTE: Click Image to Enlarge.

In 1910, Pelham opened a new, large school that served for a number of years as both a high school and elementary school: the Siwanoy School. Upon the opening of Siwanoy School, the first Colonial School closed its doors. Within a few short years, however, as the population of Pelham Heights began to grow very quickly, the first Colonial School building was reopened and another nearby residence was arranged to serve as an "annex" to the small Colonial School. The School Board rented that residence, located at 105 Boulevard, to serve as a school for the overflow of pupils who could not be fit into the first Colonial School Building.

1918 Annex to First Colonial School, a Residence

Located at 105 Boulevard. Source: Pelham Union

Free School District No. 1, [Untitled History of District

Schools], p. 4 [Unnumbered Pages], Visited May 10, 2015.

NOTE: Click Image to Enlarge.

According to a brief history of Colonial Elementary School prepared for the Pelham Union Free School District No. 1:

"Sometime prior to 1921, the [first Colonial School] was condemned by the State Board of Education. With enrollment still on the rise, the Board of Education approved a new Colonial School, regretting only that it 'could not provide more playground space for the children now attending and those that will attend.'

The cornerstone ceremony ceremony took place on Nov. 21, 1926 and the school was completed in 1927, dedicated to 'the truth and virtue in the interest of the children who will begin their education there.' In his address, James Elliott, chairman of Building and Grounds Committee of the Board of Education, added, 'The little (children) attending this school from five to 12 years of age are passing through their most receptive age. Let us all strive together, parents and teachers, to develop these young people entrusted to our care into useful and happy citizens of our great country."

Source: Pelham Union Free School District No. 1, [Untitled History of District Schools], p. 4 [Unnumbered Pages], visited May 10, 2015.

Laying of the Cornerstone of Today's Colonial Elementary School

on November 21, 196. Source: Pelham Union

Free School District No. 1, [Untitled History of District

Schools], p. 4 [Unnumbered Pages], Visited May 10, 2015.

NOTE: Click Image to Enlarge.

Today's Colonial Elementary School in an Undated

Photograph, Ca. Early 1930s. Source: Pelham Union

Free School District No. 1, [Untitled History of District

Schools], p. 4 [Unnumbered Pages], Visited May 10, 2015.

NOTE: Click Image to Enlarge.

Below is an extensive article with photographs regarding the cornerstone-laying ceremonies. The material appeared in the November 26, 1926 issue of The Pelham Sun.

"Corner Stone Of New Colonial School Laid By Judge Wahle With Impressive Ceremonies Witnessed By Large Crowd
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Board of Education, and Officials of Three Villages Take Part in Programme -- Congressman Fairchild Urges Adoption of School Flag With Three Stars Symbolizing Unity of Action by Three Villages
-----

The Pelham spirit of interest in the development of its school system was evident on Sunday afternoon when despite the bitterly cold wind about six hundred people turned out to witness the ceremonies in connection with the laying of the new $260,000 grade school on Highbrook avenue. The exercises were dignified and impressive and the laying of the cornerstone was accomplished in due form with the use of the square, the evel and the plumb, master implements of the builders' craft.

On a platform erected around the cornerstone were seated members of the Board of Education, President L. Ogden Thompson, Vice-President William L. Dench, Trustees Elliott, chairman of the building committee; Clare Fairbank, George Lambert, Wm. G. Luke, Henry B. Nevins, and Jacob A. Wirth, together with Henry H. Fox, president of Pelham Manor; George W. Lahey, president of Pelham; Thomas J. James, president of North Pelham; Congressman Ben L. Fairchild, Revs. Herbert H. Brown, Lewis G. Leary, J. McVickar Haight, and Wm. Milton Hess. Town Historian, John M. Shinn, marshal and officials of many town organizations.

Members of the Board of Education and village officials gathered at Memorial High School and marched to the site with an escort furnished by Pelham Post American Legion composed of Kneeland S. Durham, Jr., Charles Foster, Charles Hardy and Elmer Davis carrying national and legion emblems.

Proceedings opened with bugle call by bugler from Fort Slocum, and the singing of America; invocation Rev. Herbert H. Brown.

Judge Chas. G. F. Wahle, who presided, then called upon L. Ogden Thompson to speak.

After expressing his gratification at the spendid attendance, Mr. Thompason said the increase in the registration of pupils in our school system over a period of five years has been so large that the Board of Education's programme for school extension has met with many delays, and proved a source of great inconvenience to parents and children alike.

The occasion of the laying of this cornerstone of Colonial school will afford relief and pleasure to parents and children who have necessarily been on part time.

With the completion of this building and the Hutchinson school now under reconstruction the part time sessions will terminate.

Pelham's great charm as a residential locality will attract many others who are seeking a home life with the best church and school environment and within at least two years the school property owned by the district south of Boston Post road must be provided with a building permitting of enlargement to accommodate the great growth of Pelham Manor; and to this subject your Board of Education must give serious consideration early in the new year.

Trustee James Elliott, chairman of the building and grounds committee, presented a formal report stating that the erection of the new school had reached the stage where the cornerstone was ready to be laid.

In calling upon Judge Wahle to lay the cornerstone President Thompson referred to the fact that he had also officiated in like capaity in the foundation stone of Siwanoy school and Memorial High School.

Judge Wahle prefaced his remarks by stating that he had been asked to perform the somewhat unusual but now frequent laying of a cornerstone in Pelham's greate school system. It was an indication of the right kind of patriotism when the taxpayers of Pelham were ready to build schools to give to their children the kind of education which is the fundamental of our national being. He had been taught that no one should enter upon a great undertaking without invoking the help of God. He thereupon called upon the Rev. F. McVicakar Haight to ask a blessing on the work of those who were to erect the building and those who would be pupils and teachers in the building.

Isaac C. Hill, former school superintendent then deposited in the cornerstone a sealed copper box containing memorials.

School Superintendent Elmer A. Arapid then read a list of the articles within the box as follows: Programme of present exercises; annual report of Board of Education for 1926; minutes of Board of Education realting to the authorization and construction of four Pelham schools; signatures of all pupils in Pelham schools; year book published in 1922, containing facsimile of bronze tablet bearting names of all those of Peham who in the Army and Navy of the U.S. took part in the Great War; the building programme authorized February 14, 1924; copy of local papers; copy of Pelham Sun containing pictures of graduating class of 1926; programme of Pelham Sesqui-Centennial pageant, October 16, 1926; assortment of coins of U.S. currency bearing date of 1926; minutes of Board of Trustees, village of North Pelham meeting of November 4, 1926; last report of Pelham National Bank; list of membership of Manor Club; Men's Club; Pelham Comfort Society; Parent-Teachers' Association; Walsh Marvel Post Veterans of Foreign Wars; Pelham Fire Department; Pelham Manor Fire Department; silken flag around which is wrapped a list of the membership of Peham Post No. 50, American Legion, and a telephone directory.

L. Ogden Thompson then spread the cement for the sealing of the cornerstone which was lowered into place.

John M. Shinn, former member of the faculty of Pelham's oldest school then officiated as marshal, delivering the tools of the buiders' craft to Thomas J. James, president of the village of Pelham, who was assisted by Gordon Stone, a schoolboy, in squaring up the stone.

George W. Lahey, president of the village of Pelham, who was assisted by Gilbert Parker, a schoolboy in leveling up the stone.

Henry H. Fox, president of the village of Pelham Manor, who was assisted by Robert Montgomery, a schoolboy, in testing the stone with the plumb.

Judge Wahle then declared the stone to be well and truly laid.

The ceremonies of consecrating the stone with corn, wine and oil was then proceeded with. Miss Edith Young, Miss Harriett Shaw, and Miss Ethel Tuttle, presented the offerings to Judge Wahle who scattered them upon the stone.

Judge Wahle then declared the stone duly laid and consecrated. Marshal John M. Shinn confirming it after inspection. The tools of the builders' craft were then presented to Architect Van Vleck.

Congressman Ben L. Fairchild made his remarks briefly on account of the cold. He said:

'As the stone laid today is the corner stone of this spendid new structure of Colonial name associated with memories of colonial days, may the event of this day be the corner stone of our reconstruction in the Pelhams to a fervid applied patriotism, such as moved our forefathers to the great and glorious constructive deeds to which we owe our liberties as citizens under the greatest system of government ever devised by the mind of man. May the benediction prove to be a salutory of this renewed consecration of our lives and the lives of our children.

'I might stop right here but that I want to take this occasion to express the appreciation that everyone in the Pelhams must feel towards the School Board. Mr. Thompson, the President, and the members of the Board have given unstinted of their time and energy, and now is culminated a happy solution of difficult complex problems.

'And how the Pehams have grown! We have had here today Mr. I. C. Hill (who was a member of the School Board when existed the first and only little school in the Pelhams), depositing the box with its historical contents in the corner stone of this larger colonial structure. I recall when the School Board thought the number of school children in the Village of Pelham insufficient to justify expenditure of public funds, and for several years to give the few children then here school accommodations I felt compelled to give over for their use without charge a private house and to personally purchase school furniture and employ school teachers.

'Pelham has now become a leading educational center and today it is in our hearts to give to the men in and out of office, under whose jurisdiction our school system has been so splendidly developed, the high commendation they richly deserve.

'As the stars in the blue field of Old Glory represent the union of states in our national system of government, may the erection of this building suggest a school district flag with thhree stars, one for each village, typifying a perpetual bond of sympathy, a feeling of unity lasting always, among the villages of the Union Free School District of the Town of Pelham.'

Proceedings closed with the singing of the 'Star Spangled Banner,' and the benediction pronounced by Rev. Wm. Milton Hess."

Source: Corner Stone Of New Colonial School Laid By Judge Wahle With Impressive Ceremonies Witnessed By Large Crowd, The Pelham Sun, Nov. 26, 1926, p. 5, cols. 1-5.