USA > New York > Dutchess County > History of education in Dutchess County > Part 7
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11
In this chapter we have seen the county grow up edu- cationally. The once popular boarding and private schools rapidly declined near the 1900's, as the idea of public schools became firmly established in the minds of the people of the
9 See Chapter 1, 11. Briefly the Kalamazoo Case upheld the right to tax for secondary schools, and thus was established the legal movement for publie supported high schools.
10 Based on facts and figures from Chris A. DeYoung, op. cit., 196.
11 Report of the Committee of Ten, 51.
70
county. New subject material was being included in the curriculum of the county schools, and a different approach to learning was being carried on. Though it is true, that the private schools had their place and were of a great value to the county, the time had now come when they could not offer-anything similar to the public schools. It was also in this period, 1843-1900, that the high school came into its own, and thus went another institution, the academy. Some academies, as we have seen, easily converted into a high school, while others simply closed their doors, as new build- ings were built specifically for high school purposes.
Also in this period teacher education became estab- lished, and although it had not yet reached a height of popu- larity that it would enjoy in the 1900's, men and women were getting some training in the fine art of teaching. We saw the struggles of the people versus the taxpayers in attempts to acquire better schools and school conditions. Even though little money was spent on such things as books, school equip- ment, and repairs to buildings, the public school idea and the spirit behind it stayed alive through the Civil War and the Panic of 1873, and actually as an outcome of these his- toric events, the public school movement grew stronger. In 1877 we saw the supervision of public schools in the county shift from the school commissioners to the School Superin- tendent.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS. . . POUGHKEEPSIE, N. Y.
COLUMBUS DAY
OCTOBER 21, 1892
[Presented to
by the Board of Education, as a Memorial of Columbus Day and ax a remin hr. when grown tn Manhund or Womanhond, always to be faithful to the flag of our beloved country.
71
One thing not mentioned before, the different method of celebrating certain holidays. Today, for example, Colum- bus Day is celebrated with a simple mention of the deeds of Christopher Columbus or in some cases, with a school holi- day. In the 1890's, Columbus Day was honored by the pre- sentation to each child with a card given by the Board of Education, which had the child's name written on it, plus the date, and the day being honored.
During this period, the county as a whole seems to be just about the same as the rest of the state and nation. No unusual precedents were established in the city or county. Some of the noteworthy accomplishments of this period in- cluded compulsory school attendance laws, increased cur- riculum, and it should be pointed out that the time spent in school was increased in this period. We have seen that the problems shifted from the individual to the community. Therefore the education of the child was now a community problem, rather than being left to the individual, who many times could not afford to send a child to school. The county, educationally, grew up in this period-a new century of county education had begun !
The former plan of calling Poughkeepsie schools by number was conveniently brief but very confusing. Under Superintendent Ward C. Moon each of Poughkeepsie schools was given a name. Below is a list of the old schools, formerly numbered, now named :
No. 1 School: Space rented in 1844 in the building, corner of North Clinton and Thompson Streets, formerly the first Dutchess County Academy building and moved to this location in 1837.
A two-room frame building corner of Bridge and Mill Streets-the first school erected by the town; used in the beginning as a grammar school for boys.
The brick structure erected in 1906 on the same loca- tion. This is now called ABRAHAM LINCOLN SCHOOL.
No. 2 School: Space rented in 1844 in the theater building, Market Street near Jay (now William Street).
The building erected in 1856 or 57 for the Lancaster School, 197 Church Street, now Germania Hall.
The school at 100 Pine Street, erected in 1911; now called EDWARD ELSWORTH SCHOOL.
No. 3. School: Space rented in a coach factory, corner of Mill Street and Dutchess Avenue. The brick building erected 1858 on lower Church Street,
72
later named CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS SCHOOL. (The present COLUMBUS SCHOOL was built in 1929 at 14 South Perry Street.)
No. 4 School: Still standing on the east side of Bayeaux Street, now North Perry Street.
The Lafayette Place Annex added for grammar school use to the old High School Building, (now SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION BUILDING) corner of Washing- ton Street and Lafayette Place. The addition was used for awhile as a Freshman High School Annex.
No. 5 School: Built at 30 North Clinton Street, in 1860; later named MORSE SCHOOL. Later was used as a High School Freshman Annex.
Hoffman Street Chapel; also used as a grade school during the week.
(The present S. F. B. MORSE SCHOOL was erected in 1928 at 105 Mansion Street.)
No. 6 School: An older name for LIVINGSTON SCHOOL, built in 1901 on Lincoln Avenue; later used as the TRADE SCHOOL.
No. 7 School: Occupying for a time Leslie's brick school building, 50 Academy Street; now a private home.
WILLIAM W. SMITH SCHOOL, erected 1912 at 400 Church Street, was at times called No. 7 school.
No. 8 School: Built in 1875, at 150 Cannon Street. Later used as CONTINUATION SCHOOL.
(GOVERNOR GEORGE CLINTON SCHOOL, built in 1925 at 104 Montgomery Street, to replace the old No. 8 school).
No. 9 School: Building at 17 South Hamilton Street, later (for a period of time) used as ST. MARY'S PAROCHIAL SCHOOL; also has been a shoe factory.
The building at 50 Delafield Street erected in 1906, and enlarged in 1922; now called BENJAMIN FRANKLIN SCHOOL.
No. 10 School: The former Warring Military Academy building, Smith and Mansion Streets.
The modern CHARLES B. WARRING SCHOOL was erected in 1918, on this same location, enlarged in 1922 and again in 1928.
GEORGE W. KRIEGER SCHOOL, at 265 Hooker Avenue, was built in 1929 by the City of Poughkeepsie in the new Eighth Ward, to replace the temporary SOUTHEAST AVE- NUE SCHOOL, used from 1924-1929. This school oc- cupied a large house on the Driving Park property, Hooker Avenue, then District No. 7, Town of Pough- keepsie.
73
POUGHKEEPSIE HIGH SCHOOL
74
CHAPTER FIVE THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
As we start the twentieth century, we find many high schools developing, and the public school system being firmly, but slowly, established. The conditions of the public school system at this time were not in any way similar to the present day standards. This is pointed out in the fol- lowing excerpt from the first annual report of J. L. Wil- liams, president of the newly appointed board of education, December 31, 1900.
-- Gentlemen: As you are aware, this board was or- ganized May 16, 1900, under provisions of Chapter 659 of the laws of 1900.
-The responsibility and duties charged upon it were and still are grave, important, and serious. These duties have been assumed and met, it is fair to say with full ap- preciation of this truth.
You found a condition which has existed for forty years, during which time our school facilities had not ma- terially improved, but have been permitted to fall into a deplorable condition. Contrary to the law and policy of the State, six of our schools were maintained in rented buildings. Most of these, as well as buildings owned by the city were without systems of ventilation with little or no pro- visions for heating except by coal stoves, with an almost entire absence of proper provisions for hanging children's wraps, with dangerous and unsanitary closets. or those maintained in the school yards, together with school rooms with narrow aisles and dangerous outside stairways as well as many other serious defects.
Further reading of this report indicated that immediate steps were taken to remedy many of these conditions. It was with this start that the twentieth century began in Poughkeepsie and with similar conditions in the rest of the county.
It was in 1901, that the union free school built in 1869 in Rhinebeck was enlarged and became the Rhinebeck High School. In this period the Rhinecliff School was the second largest in the Town of Rhinebeck.
A new Union Free School at Dover Plains was estab- lished March 19, 1908. The building was estimated to cost about $10,000 and the land, purchased from Mr. Hanna and Mr. Wing, about $12,000, with $1,500 voted for furnishings.
75
-
Arlington School district was also becoming established in this early period. Actually the Pleasant Valley School was built in 1830, and torn down in 1904. This building was then replaced by a modern four-room school. Also a fore- runner of the Arlington district was the College Avenue School built in 1857 and which later had several additions before being converted to other uses. The Davis Avenue School was built in 1903. At this time, these were not called Arlington Schools, but they are in the territory that later became the Arlington District. Another early school in this area was the Gretna School.1
By 1918, Dewey and his progressive school were be- coming firmly established. The idea of letting the child learn by wanting to learn was becoming the rule and not the exception. Most teachers that graduated from teachers' colleges were influential in this movement. To get a vivid idea of what this new concept was like, the following quota- tion is offered from an introduction to a text-book used in the schools of the City of Poughkeepsie in 1915:2
The Socialized Recitation is the outcome of practical experiments to create an atmosphere of activity and respon- sibility for the child in the classroom. The spirit of democ- racy is the spirit of individual efficiency and self-control. The schoolroom of the past has emphasized discipline and control from the standpoint of the teacher. The Socialized Recitation emphasizes self-control and activity through experiences created in the classroom for the purpose of training the child by means of his cooperation with others engaged in some essential and profitable work.
This book went on to describe that the child now uses subject matter as a means of expression for his own ideas. The child becomes the important issue under this form of education. Facts of books are used to create experiences "for mental, moral and social training." The new method was to make the school room "real, life-like and natural." This new method often eliminated drill, but the child sup- posedly learned the same material in this newer method. The child was "a member of a working community which adopts the principles of character and of good citizenship as the standard of living and working." The teacher is not the
1 This was referred to as one of the earliest schools, but no date was given.
2 William T. Whitney, The Socialized Recitation, 1915, IX of introduc- tion.
70
voice of authority, but is important as a planner and guide. She is not as active in direct classroom relationships. This new method did not neglect in any way the formal or funda- mental principles of good teaching, but rather "employs them to far better advantages and does away with the Academized Recitation conducted by the teacher to the exclusion of the pupil and his participation in the work." This is basically the trend John Dewey was establishing throughout the nation at this time. It must be remembered that the Progressive Edu- cation Association was started in 1918. With this in mind, it seems that Poughkeepsie was becoming very broad minded in its educational program in 1915 by the use of the above program.
Educational authorities in Poughkeepsie realized very early that the education of children was much more than a training of the mind through mental discipline. Manual training and construction work for boys and sewing for girls was offered in 1903, but no general elementary manual train- ing courses with special teachers and equipment were offered until 1920. Physical education was incorporated into the curriculum in 1907, and summer play grounds were made available.
It was in the early twentieth century that many of the one-room schools were becoming part of the union free schools of the county. This was a trend similar to happen- ings in the rest of the state and nation, the gradual break down of the one-room school. There were many reasons for this, among them the advanced forms of transportation. It was now no longer necessary to walk to school or take a horse and carriage; the school bus and motor car were com- ing into general popularity. A large school with many teachers could offer many more advantages than could a small one-room school. This too, accounts for the decline of the one-room school. Also, the general taxpayer would prefer to pay the often smaller taxes for a large union free school than to have to support many small schools scattered through- out the town. However, it was basically the educational oppor- tunities that were offered in a larger school that finally forced many of the old one-room school houses to close. Gen- erally a one-room school did not offer such things as physical education, art, music, drama, vocational opportunities, or
77
even a teacher specialized in such fields as writing, such as we have seen established in the large schools of Poughkeepsie.
Arlington Union Free School District, No. 7 (now cen- tralized) was formed in 1920 by the incorporation of such schools as the Pleasant Valley School, Gothic School, Wash- ington Hollow School, Sunnyside School, Gretna and Davis Avenue Schools. The first school acquired was the Davis Avenue School and this was used until 1930. In 1924 the Raymond Avenue School was built and opened as a high school and later was both high school and grade school. The Davis Avenue School was also used as a kindergarten until it was closed in 1930.
The report of Ward C. Moon of the City of Poughkeep- sie in 1929 states, "The past twenty years probably have marked more changes and greater advances in the field of education than any previous period of twice its length." Mr. Moon was speaking of the City of Poughkeepsie, but what he said could very easily be applied to all of Dutchess County. Vocational education in Poughkeepsie was begun in 1927, when a two-year course in machine shop practice was estab- lished at the Cannon Street School. A number of libraries for schools were opened in 1930, and have since become an integral part of the educational system.
It is interesting to note that when Arlington was es- tablished in 1920 only one year of high school was offered. In 1922 the course was expanded to two years, and in 1924 the district offered three years of high school work.
Arlington High School was granted a charter as a six- year high school in 1926, and its first commencement was held that year with nine pupils graduating.
In 1933 the present Arlington High School was built. and it was opened in 1934. At this time the Raymond Ave- nue School became a grade school. As part of the PWA proj- ect, the wings were built on the Raymond Avenue School in 1938. In 1933 the Pleasant Valley School became the modern school it is today, with an addition built in 1938. It was also in 1938-39 that the Auditorium and an addition was built on the present Arlington High School.
Public school developments in Dutchess during the 30's featured the formation of consolidated and centralized school districts. It has been said that President Franklin D.
78
1
Roosevelt had more to do with this trend than any one indi- vidual resident of the county. He was deeply interested in county activities, particularly education, and took an active part, despite all his duties in Washington. President Roose- velt, it must be remembered, was responsible for the Public Works Administration which had projects in all parts of the country, and which produced Federal Government financial grants-in-aid to the construction of school and other public buildings. Franklin D. Roosevelt spent much time in Hyde Park and neighboring townships discussing plans for new schools; central schools for Dutchess County. It could be said that he was the "architect" of these schools, and other buildings, many of which are constructed of the native field stone. This was done to maintain the rich folklore of the Old Dutch houses of Dutchess County.
Because President Roosevelt had such an interest in the county's educational development, he had the honor of dedi- cating the three field stone schools of the Hyde Park Central School District, October 5, 1940. The Public Works Admin- istration had supplied forty-five per cent of the funds for the $1,300,000 project. The three schools were the Franklin D. Roosevelt High School in East Park, the Violet Avenue Ele- mentary School, and the smaller grade school in Hyde Park village, known as the Hyde Park School.
One of the murals in the Hyde Park Post Office depicts President Roosevelt discussing plans for the Roosevelt High School. The land for the Roosevelt High School was pur- chased from Benjamin Haviland, a farmer and old friend of the President.
In his dedication speech, made on a platform in front of the junior-senior high school named in his honor, President Roosevelt declared that, "In building for the well being of America, we have built for the defense of America as well."3
President Roosevelt went on to say :
These schools symbolize two modern government func- tions, the perpetuation of the right of the free, universal education, and the continuing responsibility to see that no one should starve who was willing to work but was unable to find work.
President Roosevelt also reminded the listeners that the town of Hyde Park could claim "a kind of sponsorship of
" Louise H. Zimm, Southeastern New York, Vol. 1, 1946, 403.
79
school education in New York." For it was in Hyde Park, he said, "nearly a century and a half ago," that Governor Mor- gan Lewis, who lived on one of the river estates, "was chiefly responsible for the starting of the Union Free School system for the children of the State of New York .*
The President also went on to remind the listeners that his father, James Roosevelt, had served on the school board of the Hyde Park village. As a boy, the President used to hold his father's horse while the school trustees attended meetings in the old school house. Back in about 1870, he said, his father had helped "with great pride to build the red brick schoolhouse."
He also paid a tribute to the taxpayers of the towns of Hyde Park, Poughkeepsie, Pleasant Valley, and Clinton for having backed the school centralization movement and made the construction of new schools, "rather than a re- pair job," possible.
The new high schools were all provided with adequate acreage for sports, and games and recreation of all kinds.
These new schools symbolize two modern government funtions in America, each of which is proving itself more and more vital to the continuance of our democracy. One of them is an old function based on the ideal and the under- standing of our Founding Fathers that true, democratic government cannot long endure in the midst of widespread ignorance.
They recognized that the democratic government would call for the intelligent participation af all its people, as enlightened citizens-citizens equipped with what we used to call "a schooling." From that time to our time, it has always been recognized as a responsibility of our gov- ernment that every child have the right to a free and liberal education. These buildings can well be dedicated to that function-the American institution of universal education.
During the same period when the new schools were being built in the Hyde Park Central School District, another combination elementary and high school was being provided for the larger Wappingers Central School District in south- ern Dutchess. One of the largest central districts in the State, Wappingers District, like Hyde Park, has a large modern school building, which cost close to $1,000,000. This building was also constructed under the forty-five per cent grant of Public Works Administration funds, the district taxpayers assuming the balance of the capital cost.
for details see page 19, 1805 act for encouragement of "Common * Schools."
80
Other new school construction financed in part by the Public Works Administration and during the same period were the Red Hook Central School District building, and the addition previously mentioned at Arlington.
In the field of centralization, Pine Plains was the pi- oneer; with Wappingers Falls and Hyde Park being among the other early pioneers in Dutchess County in this new idea of school districting.
Rhinebeck was too late to take advantage of the Federal Government aid for school construction projects. The dis- trict had for some years, because of a fire which destroyed one of its village schools, used a makeshift facility for the school. This situation was remedied soon after the Second World War.
The City of Poughkeepsie also failed to take advant- age of Public Works Administration grants in aid for school construction. The real estate taxpayers of the city decide whether bonds shall be issued for school building purposes, and two proposed Public Works Administration-aided high school building projects were defeated in taxpayers' elec- tions at Poughkeepsie.
Although through the period from the twenties to the early forties Poughkeepsie did not make an effort to build a new high school, there were various improvements made in many of the elementary schools. Some of these improve- ments included additions to the Franklin, William W. Smith, and Warring Schools in 1921; two new schools were built, the Governor Clinton School which opened in September, 1925, and, under a bond issue in 1927, the Samuel F. B. Morse, Christopher Columbus School, and the Warring School were again enlarged. Construction of the George W. Krieger School in the Eighth Ward was authorized in October, 1928, after the territory of that ward had been annexed from the town of Poughkeepsie. It might be pointed out here that in Poughkeepsie in 1936, comprehensive courses of study in safety education were included in the curriculum for grades 1-12.
The population of Dutchess County had been growing at a steady rate up to 1940. From 1940 to the present the population has increased very rapidly, and some account of this should be mentioned here, as this trend has been re-
81
- --
flected in educational conditions as they exist now. Up to about 1887, Dutchess County was primarily agricultural. Therefore there was literally nothing to bring in large num- bers of people, and what population there was here, was scattered throughout the county. Until the middle of the eighteenth century the county's growth was slow. For ex- ample, in 1714 there was a total population of 445 and by 1749 there were only 7,912 inhabitants recorded. However, between 1749 and 1756, the total number of residents nearly doubled, the total in 1756 was 14,148, by 1771 the population was 22,404 and by 1840, 52,398. By 1900 there were 81,661 and in 1940 the total population was 120,542.
However, events of the 19th century changed the county from agricultural to industrial. Of prime import- ance in this period was the development of railroads. The county also had excellent streams and of course the Hudson River to help promote industry. In 1883, "Spafford's Gazet- teer" described Dutchess as "one of the most opulent farming counties in the state." The same report also indi- cates that Dutchess was already playing an important part in industry. After 1900 industrial growth was rapid in the county but on April 1, 1941, an event took place that was to change the whole economic life of the county and which was also, later, to have important effects on the educational fa- cilities in the county.
This event was the establishment of a factory-origin- ally known as the Munitions Manufacturing Company, a subsidiary of International Business Machines, which later became known simply as IBM. The firm purchased the old factory of the former R. U. Delapenha and Company, fruit preserve specialists, on Rudco Road, just off the Albany Post Road, south of Poughkeepsie. During the war years this plant employed approximately 2,000 persons, and its post-war increase has had a tremendous effect on the total population and way of life in all of Dutchess County. The plant now employs approximately 9,000 persons. The original plant occupies some 215 acres of land and in June, 1942, an addi- tional 123 acres were purchased for the IBM Country Club. At present the IBM Corporation has expanded immensely from the original buildings of 1941 on the South Road prop- erty, plus huge research laboratories in Spackenkill Road,
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.