New Hartford Historical Society

During the fall of 1883 the New Hartford School District was organized as a Union Free School. The following year the old building at the corner of Pearl Street and Alport Ave. was remodeled to accommodate more pupils. Before that, as a Common School District, it had occupied a part of the box factory building on Park Street.

 

After 1884 the rapid growth of population and even more rapid growth in school atten­dance, necessitated having a much larger building and many more teachers. The elegant Golden residence located at the point formed by the juncture of Paris Road and Clinton Street (Now Genesee St.) was destroyed by fire in 1898, making available what was then considered an ideal site for a new modern school. The land was high, airy and well drained; the location beautiful and away from manufacturing establishments.

 

In 1901 the cornerstone for the fine Roman­esque structure was laid and the building com­pleted in the next year or so, being fully occupied by 1903. The original school was two stories high with a pointed slate roof and boasted a fine bell tower on the south side. It was built of red bricks trimmed with Indiana limestone. There were seven classrooms on the first floor, and a large study hall, three classrooms, an office, library, laboratory and faculty room on the second. There were wide well lighted hallways, space for wardrobes, drinking fountains and registers for central heating. Individual desks for each pupil was one of the new features. It was the first Union School in the county approved by the state under Chapter 1301 of the laws of 1895.

 

Until the old pointed roof and tower were removed in the 1950's, a large bell, activated by a rope hanging down into the assembly hall was rung every day at 8:45 and 9:00 o'clock in the morning, and at 12:45 and 1:00 o'clock in the afternoon to call the pupils to school. .

 

The original building would accommodate something over 300 pupils and included the en­tire school — first grade through high school. As population continued to grow more space again was needed in the early 1920's. In 1921-1922 the Clinton Street (now Genesee St.) addition was built with additional classrooms and the school's first gymnasium. The capacity of the school was increased to 600.

 

With more growth in the district the Sunset Ave. School was built, and in about 1930 the Oxford Road school came into being. When that school was occupied it accommodated all the high school and grades seven and eight. The Point School became an elementary school and remained so until its closing.

 

The graduates of the Point School are legion and carry fond memories of the school with them to the far corners of our country and abroad.