LYNCOURT COMMUNITY HISTORY

LYNCOURT SCHOOL HISTORY
In Lyncourt, as in any community, the schools have an important part in the area’s history. To date, the Lyncourt area has had three different schools. The schools have undergone a great deal of change through the years as determined by the needs of the community. The following is a review of the Lyncourt School history as it relates to building development. This information is taken directly from two documents. The first document was entitled Discovering Lyncourt : A Local History Anthology written by the 5th,6th,7th and 8th grade students in the Gifted Education Program of Lyncourt School (circa 1986) and “The History of Lyncourt School” written by C. Napolitano. Much like any historical information, it is both intriguing and entertaining.

1870 LITTLE RED BRICK SCHOOLHOUSE
The first school in the area was the little red brick schoolhouse across from Assumption cemetery. That building still exists, but was added onto in the front. Thus making the school portion hard to see from Court St. The building’s address is 2322 Court St., and now houses a business called Upstate Merchandising. This schoolhouse came into existence in 1870. Old maps of the area serve to support this 1870 date: Maps of the area in 1852 and 1860 do not show the school as being in existence. However, the school does show up on an 1874 map.

1919 SCHAFER AVENUE SCHOOL
By the year 1919, the community had too many children to be accommodated by the little red schoolhouse. And so, on July 25, 1919, the trustees of the Board of Education passed a resolution to build a new school. The Board minutes show the trustees “authorized and directed to cause plans and specifications to be prepared for the erection of a new school building of frame construction…and to expend for such purpose the sum of not more than seventeen thousand dollars ($17,000). The school was a two-room, white clapboard building located at the corner of Court St. and Schafer Ave. That same building has since become the Bric-Tre apartments (3116 Court St.).

1924 SCHAFER AVENUE SCHOOL EXPANSION
During the 1920’s the population of the Lyncourt area was expanding at a rapid rate. Thus, in 1924 it was necessary to add onto the Schafer Ave. school. At a special district meeting on July 1, 1924, voters approved the acquisition of an additional piece of land from Christina B. Barton for that purpose. By a vote of 52 yes to 15 nays the voters had approved an amount of not more than $2000 dollars be raised by tax for the property.
On July 12, 1924, a special meeting was held for voters to decide on the question of whether or not to spend “the sum of not more than fifty-five thousand dollars ($55,000)” for an addition to the Schafer Ave. school. With the addition, the school would have six rooms, a gymnasium, and an auditorium. “Voting was by paper ballot and there were 48 total number of ballots cast: 25 nays and 23 yes.”
The meeting was adjourned to the evening of July 17th, 1924 at 8:00 o’clock to reconsider the action taken. Minutes from the meeting on that night show that the resolution passed by a count of 52 yes votes to 10 nays.
In the minutes of all three of those July meetings, it is noted that an interpreter was present to explain “in Italian to the Italian residents of the town the purpose and object of the meeting and the resolution to be voted upon.”

1926 ONE DISTRICT, TWO SCHOOLS
The building of the new school at Schafer Ave. did not mean the little red brick school was closed down. Rather, Board of Education notes from August 18, 1926, show that both schools were being used: “Mr. Manford Green, Superintendent of Schools, suggested that beginners presented at school opening be taken as first grade and those of the first grade when school closed last June to constitute second grade. These two grades only to be taught allowing the little children in the vicinity of the school the privilege of using it and avoiding their going to large school situated some distance from Lindenwood and the ‘Lawns’.”

1932 LYNCOURT SCHOOL AT COURT STREET
With the continuing increase in the population of the Lyncourt area, yet another school needed to be built. That school was to be located at 2707 Court St. and is the school that is still used today.
On March 15, 1932, the Board of Education met “for the purpose of taking action on the communication from Dr. Essex of the State Department of Education regarding the advisability of purchasing the Congdon property and the erection of a new school.” In his letter, Dr. Essex did approve the purchase of the property. In following, the trustees passed a resolution to post notices “giving the tax-payers twenty days notice of a special election to vote upon the expenditure of $15,000 to purchase the Congdon property.
On April 14, 1932, the trustees set the date of May 7, 1932 for a “special meeting of the qualified electors of the district to be held at the small brick schoolhouse” for the purpose of voting on the purchase of the Congdon property for a sum not to exceed fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000). At the May 7th meeting the voters approved the purchase of the property by a vote of 236 to 17.
With the voters’ approval of the land for a new school, the trustees next sought approval for the money for the building itself. On July 19, 1932, qualified voters did approve the sum of not more than $175,000. The vote of 180 ayes to 8 nays provided for the building of the original portion of our present Lyncourt School. The new school consisted of 12 classrooms, an auditorium, a gymnasium, and offices.

1950’S & 1960’S LYNCOURT SCHOOL EXPANSION
In the late forties the school was again bursting at the seams and the Board of Education had to ask the taxpayers to consider a referendum for an addition to the 1932 building. The community responded favorably to this referendum and plans were started to add the Northeast wing in 1952.
By 1964, the student population was crowding the elementary classrooms. Some grades had more than forty students. Due to the lack of land it was a question as to whether the District would be able to receive State Aid for another addition. The residents were informed through public meetings of the various problems and with their cooperation and helpful suggestions a referendum was passed to add seven rooms and another gym area. This is the west side of the present building.