The Birth of the Pelham Memorial High School: "School Extension Committee" Report in 1917 Recommended a New High School for Pelham

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Nearly one hundred years ago, our Pelham forefathers looked into the future and realized the need for a world-class educational facility to serve as a high school and middle school to serve the ever-expanding population of Pelham schoolchildren.  They assessed the burgeoning population of youngsters and knew that the "Siwanoy High School, and Elementary School" would not be up to the task.  

During the spring of 1917, the local School Board established a committee to assess the matter and to make recommendations to the Board.  That committee, in turn, approached Dr. George D. Strayer.  

Dr. Strayer (b. 1876; d. 1962) was a leading figure in school administration who taught at Teachers College, Columbia University.  He is, perhaps, best known for developing the so-called "Stayer-Haig Plan" that has served as the basic formula for states to make general grants of aid to school districts on an equalized basis.  Although he began as a mathematics instructor, he became a "founding light in the new field of educational administration."  As an alumnus of Columbia University, he studied at Teachers College at a time when it was the heralded breeding ground and center" of the new discipline of educational adminstration.

Dr. Strayer worked closely with the Pelham School Extension Committee to analyze the Pelham public school system and recommend changes that would enable the School District to handle the expected surge of students in the middle school and high school grades.  The Committee and Dr. Strayer knew that large tracts of land near the geographic center of the Town of Pelham were disappearing fast.  There were only two particularly large ones left.

The first was known as the "Sand Pit."  It was an area from which, for many years, sand was removed for a host of uses throughout the town.  It was located on a large plot at the corner of Wolfs Lane and Colonial Avenue.  The second was known as the "Rosenheimer Estate."  
The Rosenheimer Estate once belonged to Julius T. Rosenheimer, a wealthy resident of Pelham who served as president of the London Needle Company of New York.  Rosenheimer was murdered by robbers in broad daylight while walking in a garden on his estate on the afternoon of June 19, 1907.  It was one of the most notorious crimes ever committed in Pelham and attracted media attention far and wide.  The Rosenheimer Estate was named "The Roses" and stood along Wolfs Lane extending toward the Hutchinson River about a block north of the Sand Pit.
Ten years after the Rosenheimer murder, the Pelham School Extension Committee and Dr. George D. Strayer recognized that something needed to be done to secure land of sufficient size near Colonial Avenue to build a high school of consequence.  The report that they issued on June 6, 1917 recommended, among other things, the following:

"1.  That the board of education acquire either (a) the two entire blocks bounded by Colonial avenue, Wolf's lane, the Boulevard, and Corlies avenue or (b) the block west of Wolf's lane on which the Rosenheimer property is located and also [if] possible a considerable portion of the low land immediately to the west for playground and athletic purposes.

2.  That upon this property a building often or twelve-room and basement be erected to accommodate the high school and the Seventh and Eighth grades of the entire district; this building to be designed and located up the plot with a view to future enlargement."

The report released on that late spring day in 1917 set the wheels in motion for the construction of the world class high school that has served the Town of Pelham for nearly a century:  The Pelham Memorial High School located on a plot that once included the great "Sand Pit."  The rest, of course, is Pelham history. . . . 

Post Card View of Pelham Memorial High School

Shortly After Its Dedication on May 6, 1922.

NOTE:  Click Image to Enlarge. 

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Below is an article about the conclusions of the Pelham School Extension Committee and the report it prepared with Dr. Strayer published in the Daily Argus of Mount Vernon on June 7, 1917.  The article quotes the committee report in its entirety.  The text of the article is followed by a citation and link to its source.  

"URGE PELHAMS TO MAKE CHANGES IN SCHOOL FACILITIES
-----

North Pelham, June 7. -- At the special meeting of the board of education of the Union Free School District No. 1 held last evening at the Hutchinson School, the final report of the committee appointed by the board a few months ago and known as the School Extension committee was made.  The report is of great interest to the residents of this town and is as follows:

'Your committee takes pleasure in reporting that it has come to an unanimous conclusion with regard to the problem given it to solve.  We have held eight meetings at which there has been a very thorough discussion of every phase of our educational situation which bears upon the question of school extension.  These discussions soon showed us that the problem was a more complicated one than we had at first supposed; and after the members of the committee had each constributed suggestions, as to its solution, the final chrystalization of a unanimous opinion was due to the invaluable assistance of Dr. George D. Strayer, professor of education administration in College School of Education (teacher's college) who with the aid of other educational experts made a thorough survey of our school district with special view to its present faculties and probable future needs. 

'The recommendations of your committee are substantially those of Professor Strayer, a copy of whose report is appended hereto.'

'The enlargement of Siwanoy school so as to accommodate both the high school, the seventh and eighth grades of Pelham Manor and Pelham Heights seems inadvisable.  First, because the prohibitive cost of acquiring the additional and now improved land adjacent to the present property which woud be absolutely necessary in order to meet the requirements of the state board with regard to playground space; and second and most important, because the high school located on this site would be too far removed from the center of the school population, and it is inconceivable that any future growth of population would warrant the district supporting more than one high school.

'Your committee very carefully considered the possibility of making an addition to the Highbrook avenue building, but deem this inexpedient for the present at least, in view of the fact that the plan we have finally decided upon not only is more adquate in meeting our pressing needs, but also co-ordinate our entire school system along lines of administrative efficiency and allows for unhampered future extension.

It is the judgment of your committee that the board of education should immediately acquire either the land commonly known as the 'Sand Pit,' at the corner of Colonial avenue and Wolf's lane or else a considerable tract including the site of the former Rosenheimer house, a block further north, and upon this centrally located property erect a building adquate to accommodate our high school, and seventh and eighth grades from the entire town.  This grouping of upper grades and high school is most efficient and as well most economical, according to the judgment of the best experts on modern school administration and under existing conditions is especially advisable, and instead of merely meeting the present exigency by the distribution of the necessary extensions among two or three buildings for approximately the same cost we can erect a new, adequate and permanent structure.  

'The new buildings was located and designed with the view to its growing sometime into a thoroughly equipped modern high school of large student capacity.  In other words, while complete in itself and providing as adequate facilities as are at present wanted, the structure should be a unit from the viewpoint of both education and architecture which will easily lend itself to such extension as shall prove necessary to accommodate any future growth in our school population. 

'The assembly of the present high school should be altered to serve also as a gymnasium.  This we are assured can easily be done and meet with the entire approval of the state board.

'The building will then be splendidly fitted to house the complete grade school (with exception of where noted) of Pelham Manor and Pelham Heights.

'In view, however, of the increasing number of children in the lower grades, the Highbrook avenue building should be retained for the kindergarten and lower primary scholars of Pelham Heights and Pelhamwood as a school accommodated for the youngest children should never be far distant from their homes.  More land should be acquired adjoining this building, both to comply with the requirements of the state board regarding playground space and also to allow room for possible future extension.

'The Hutchinson school building is already entirely adequate to accommodate a modern grade school, but it has no available playground, except the public park land to the north.  The use of this land in perpetuity as a school playground should therefore be assured by the board of education.  

'The Jackson avenue property should not be disposed of.  For at sometime or other the development of the southern section of the village of Pelham Manor will necessitate the erection of another grade school for which this will be an ideal location.

'The above suggestions it will be seen not only provide for the minimum of school extension most urgently demanded at the present moment but look into the future and comprehend in a far reaching and yet elastic plan every new extension of our educational facilities, which may later be necessitated by any conceivable increase in the population of the district.  We therefore only present the following recommendations:

1.  That the board of education acquire either (a) the two entire blocks bounded by Colonial avenue, Wolf's lane, the Boulevard, and Corlies avenue or (b) the block west of Wolf's lane on which the Rosenheimer property is located and also [if] possible a considerable portion of the low land immediately to the west for playground and athletic purposes.

2.  That upon this property a building often or twelve-room and basement be erected to accommodate the high school and the Seventh and Eighth grades of the entire district; this building to be designed and located up the plot with a view to future enlargement.

3.  That the assembly room of the present high school be altered to serve also as a gymnasium.

4.  That additional land be acquired [adjoining] the Highbrook avenue school property.

5.  That the perpetual use of the public park land north of the Hutchinson school as a school playground be assured.

6.  That the Jackson avenue school property be not disposed of.

The report was filed for further consideration by the board of education and it does not in any way mean that the board of education is obliged to carry out the recommendations made.  The information is for the use of the board of education in the event of the school extension being considered at this or any other time."

Source:  URGE PELHAMS TO MAKE CHANGES IN SCHOOL FACILITIES, The Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Jun. 7, 1917, p. 6, cols. 1-2.   

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