Watkins Glen High School - Senecan Oracle Yearbook (Watkins Glen, NY)

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941 THE ORACLE 194 , ,gf -1 - .,,. W-:zz-2 1 - ' 1 4 l..,v.,-.,-Y--4fw,n1,F, I If 1 .W WMM Reading consecutively: the Grammar School, 1868-1897: the Academy 1868-1898: view of the Acaclemy after the fire of 1898 with the new building partially completed: Vv'atkins High School. 1898-1923: Watkins High School, 1923-1929: laying the corner stone of the present building: two views of the present Watkins Glen High School. 15

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1941 THE ORACLE 1941 THE HISTORY OF WATKINS GLEN HIGH SCHOOL THE BUILDINGS The history of the home of Watkins Glen High School begins with the crea- tion of the Watkins Union School district by act of the State Legislature, April 3, 1863. During the early years of the new academic department, however, it did not have a home of its own but was housed in the Court House. Not until the transfer of the county seat in 1868 from Montour Falls fthen Havannaj to Watkins Glen did the Board of Education provide the school with a building of its own. When in January of 1868 it became necessary to use the county building for Court House purposes the school was allowed temporarily to retain rooms for the academic department although the primary grades were suspended for the remainder of the winter term. Select schools sprang up, however, in all quarters of the village. The Board of Education, meanwhile faced the problem of housing the school. Their solution of this problem was to purchase the old Presbyterian Church building for the academic department and to authorize the construction of a new building for the lower grades to be erected on the northeast corner of the present school lot, this square having been given to the school by Mrs. Cynthia Cass Watkins. The Presbyterian Church building Cerected, 1845, on the site of the present Presbyterian parsonagej was remodeled and used for the spring term at its original location. Then during the summer months the building was moved to the southeast corner of the school lot, enlarged and repaired. It was ready for the admiiszion of pupils in September. At the same time the lower grades, which had been oused in the Engine House for the spring term, were able to move into the new grade building. Thus came about Hthe academy which was destined to house the high school for a period of thirty years. In 1874 an addition was constructed on the rear of the building to accommodate the growing school population and side entrances were built to the south. Apparently from this time on, the rooms on the first floor of the academy were used for the primary grades while the second floor was used for the high school. The new building was used for the intermediate grades or grammar school. From the point of view of today the academy and grammar school would hardly be considered adequate. The relatively small window area provided the only lighting. Wood stoves served for the purposes of heating. The toilets were outside. In the hallway of the academy was a pail and cup and the water supply was a pump in the cellar. Yet it served well its day and the community took justifiable pride in its academy. The academy period came to an abrupt close. Late in the evening, of June 19, 1897, just before final examination week, a ire, which many thought was of incendiary origin, destroyed the grammar school. After much debate on the question of housing the intermediate grades, the Board laid before the taxpayers the proposition of constructing a new building to accommodate the entire school. The vote was favorable and ground was broken for the new building on a site just north of the old academy. Meanwhile temporary provision for the grades was made in Gurnett's Hall on the corner of Third and Franklin Streets and in the North Primary. The troubles of the Board were not ended, however. Long before the new building had reached completion a second fire destroyed the old academy. The fire occurred on the morning of February 4 and was apparently due to an over-heated 14 A

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1941 THE ORACLE 1941 stove in the library. Since the new building was not completed the remainder of the school had to be housed about the village. Accommodations for the high school and the rest of the grades were found in the Baldwin Block located. on the site of the Glen Theater and the Beach Building of the Shelton Block just east of the Jefferson Hotel. The new Watkins High School, as it was styled in the caption over the front entrance, was in the opinion of that time one of the most beautiful appointed edifices in the State. In it were incorporated what were at that time the most up-to-date ideas in school building construction in the way of materials, in heating, lighting, and ventilation and in educational facilities. The Watkins High School, with its spacious lawns, its hydrangea lined walks and its ivy covered walls became a cherished landmark in the community. It was not long, however, before new and more progressive ideas and a grow- ing school population rendered the building inadequate. In 1915 a steam heating system replaced the unpredictable hot air system. Fire escapes and a clock system were added. Electric lighting replaced the Welsbach gas lights. In 1923 the symmetry of the building was broken by the addition of a wing to the north which not only provided for new departments and an increasing school body but also for the first gymnasium fthe garret and hallway had been serving this pur- posej and for more adequate library facilities. Again the community felt that it had a school building which would meet its educational needs. This improved school plant was not destined to serve for long. On Monday evening of January 14, 1929, the village witnessed a disastrous school fire for the third time. The fire started in the basement and within the space of a few minutes it had reached the oil-soaked floors and the whole main structure was in flames. Again, as in 1898, the entire school was housed about the village. The high school for the first week was held in the Glen Theater with a class in every corner. It was then moved to Cole-Royce Hall where for several weeks teachers vied with one another to make themselves heard and the pupils in the Latin class learned more chemistry than they did history. Meanwhile the Board supplied funds for a rush completion of the new Masonic Temple. Here the high school was housed from April 1929 until September 1930. To provide for the grades every avail- able building in the village was pressed into service-the Catholic Daughters rooms, the American Legion rooms. Red Mens Hall, Odd Fellows Hall, the Episcopal Parish House, the Court House, Sciore's store, the Crofut house and the Sullivan house. Thus was the school scattered about the village. Yet the com- munity, teachers and pupils' took this adversity in stride and the damage to the educational program appears to have been slight. A goodly share of the credit belongs to Principal Beers for his untiring efforts during this difiicult time to keep the school on an even keel. Again the Board of Education was supported by the community in its deter- mination to build a school plant incorporating the most modern ideas and providing as far as humanly possible for the future. The result is our present fire- proof structure with its automatic heat and ventilation control: its oflice broad- casting system and radio hook-up for each room: its auditorium, gymnasium and shower rooms: its built-in safety deposit vault and individual lockers: its innumerable other features which go to make up the modern conception of an adequate school building. And thus again today, as in the past, has the community provided a building which it believes will meet the educational needs of its youth. ADMINISTRATION AND CURRICULUM A survey of the administrative and educational program in Watkins Glen High School since the creation of the academic department in 1863 reveals the same evolution brought about by changing conditions and the advance of educa- 16