Gates

It's reported in McIntosh's History of Gates that in 1798 a Peter Sheffer was elected school commissioner. This might indicate that a school existed at that early date although only a about a dozen families lived west of the Genesee. The first school committee, according to the author, was formed in 1799 and consisted of Chapman Hawley, Joseph Morgan and Josiah Fish for the Town of Northampton.

    School was held differently than today. There was a summer school and a winter school, with a different teacher for each session. A woman would teach the summer session while a man would do the winter when the  fires had to be made each morning and when the older boys could attend school. The children only went to school when they could be spare from planting and harvesting, and when weather permitted. Sometimes there were only three to four months of school per year. teacher would board at the various students homes. One teacher taught all the grade levels one through eight. Desks were smooth boards placed on braces and the children sat on benches.
     Prior to 1849 support for education came from a state grant, depending upon the number of school age children in a district, and from a tax levied against each town by the County supervisors. Additional funds wee supplied by parents, who paid in proportion to the number of school age children and the total number of days they attended. Consequently many children who should have been in school were not simply because their parents could not afford to send them. then in 1849 "an act Establishing Free Schools Throughout the State" ws passed by the legislature

.   District #1

Patriotic Pageant c. 1910

1946-1947  Shirley Bookman's second grade class

These teachers taught all eight grades at no. 1 Left is Miss Louise Vane, 1864-1865 and right, Miss Ada Scorse, 1891.

Interior  about 1906. the two teachers are: left, Miss Pierce, and right, Miss Hattie Collins

District #1 was located at 2355 Chili Ave. The picture show c.1910. In 1931 classes were relocated to the north side of Chili Avenue in a building known today as the Washington Irving School. The old location was voted on by residents who then sold the old schoolhouse to the Gates-Chili Fire Department for $2,000.
    Deed was given by on Joel Wheeler that bears the date December 19,1826 for a schoolhouse. Daniel Loomis acted as chairman at the first school meeting  held on October 3,1826. Cyrus Handy was elected clerk: James wooden, trustee; John Kennell, collector and Thomas Brady, librarian. Money was voted on to be raised: $199.50 to complete a school house,$5.00 for a woodshed, $20.00 for a back house and $30.00 for buying a stove and pipe.
    The first structure ws believed to be a log cabin and served the district for nearly 20 years. A special meeting was held on March 30,1844, it ws decided to build a new schoolhouse on the site of the old building. By a positive vote on January 25,1850 it was decided to have four months of summer school and four months of winter school and to raise by tax $75.00 for teachers' wages for he coming year. In 1851 the school year was extended to ten months.
    About 1894 the schoolhouse let the schoolhouse for meetings, Sabbath School, lecture, etc., so that in addition to serving aw a place of learning, the old school house became a center of church and social activity and remained so for many years.
    The august 6,1901 meeting a motion was made to levy a tax of $1200 to build an addition to the old house including a cellar and furnace and to make needed repairs. Lighting and ventilation was improved.
    District #1 grew quickly and in 1928 plans were instigated for building a new school on another site. The new building ws ready for occupancy in January, 1931. The name, Washington Irving, approved by the District voters, gave distinction to the new school. The first principal was Everett Chaffee, he devoted his life to the welfare of the school and its pupils.
    After a change in classification from a Common School District to a Union Fee School work was begun  on an addition. This was completed in 1950  with the addition housing a auditorium-gymnasium, a kindergarten, eight classrooms, health rooms and a new office. Later it ws a part of the Gates Centralized District.
 

District#4

A photograph with the teacher at District #4 in 1896.

the first student to attend the new Thomas Edison School.

District #4 In the vicinity of Gates Center which was  the north side of (#1612) Buffalo Road, just west of Howard Rd stood the one-room schoolhouse built in 1869 later known as the Thomas Edison School. Early records date to 1837  but prior to business at the first recorded meeting was "to raise tax by $25.00 to repair the schoolhouse. It was also voted that each man was to furnish a cord of wood to each scholar for the stove by the first day of November. The red brick schoolhouse was built at a cost of $2,000.  After May 1869  a meeting voted to buy buy land next to the old school and sell the old site. Property was purchased from H. Shearman, clerk of the board.
     The 1912 school budget was $900. Inside plumbing was installed in 1916. The first trustees were Eleazer Howard, Joseph Dewey, and Moses Gage.
 

The school became so crowded it was necessary to partition the building into two rooms. At the annual meeting in May 1929 it ws voted to erect a new building to be so constructed that a second floor could be added later. A PTA was formed that year with 13 members. A new district #4 opened in January 1931 renamed for Thomas Edison since this ws the 50th anniversary of the incandescent lamp
    In July 1929  the sum of $7,925.00 was approved for the purchase of land adjacent to the present school site as and addition. Mrs. Marjorie Tabor was the first principal of the new school and was assisted by Mrs. Raymond Bieber and a Miss Carter.
    The next 15 years saw many changes including a kindergarten. a bus purchase and a movie projector, etc.
    Increasing enrollment made it necessary to enlarge the school again and in 1949 a second story was added which provided 6 additional classrooms and a library. A kitchen and cafeteria were constructed.
That school closed in 1980. The building was then used as Hope Hall school for at-risk or educationally stranded children.

District #5

1949-1950 youngsters at school #5

District #5 (Originally Gates District #11)
This small one-room schoolhouse was established in May 15, 1824. It was believed to be the earliest established school in Gates and located at the northeast corner of Alexander Kenyon's farm at Buffalo and Elmgrove Roads School was in session for three months a year beginning in December 1824. District #5  was closed in 1953 ending its 129 year history and students transferred to Thomas Edison School. The building stood, unused and unwanted for nearly seven years after its pupils left.The building was later demolished in 1961.
    The elected school officers was I. P. Fitch, moderator; Jonathan Kingsley, clerk; James Merrill, William Jameson, Luke Hopkins, and Joshua Beaman, trustees. James Merrill ws paid $12.50 for labour done on the schoolhouse. Minutes for the schoolhouse were in possession of Warren B. DeWitt, 2893 Buffalo Road until the school was closed. The Beaman family was active in school affairs until the close of the school.
    In 1874 the school budget was $172.10, itemized as follows $104.60  for the teacher's salary, $40 for a stove, #25 for coal, and $2.50 for "incidentals". The balance on hand when the school closed was #3,969.37

District #7

The date of this photo is uncertain.

Mrs. Monahan's fifth-grade class in 1946

School #7  c. 1916

Mid 1920's photograph of Warren Harding School students

District #7
    It was formed in 1827, when voter authorized construction of a schoolhouse at a cost not to exceed $150 also the meeting indicates it was called District no.11 at that time.
    In the year 1829 there was seven months school with $39.22 paid out in expenses; $36.50 for teachers salaries; $2.50 for fire logs,18c for a broom leaving a balance of 4c.
    On October 9,1835, the number of the District was changed to No.7. A stove and 100 volumes of books were purchased.
 Two schools followed the first in 1847 and the next in 1882. The 1846 schoolhouse was built on land bought for $30.00 from Calvin Sperry that the district had used for 20 years. The schoolhouse cost was $400.00. It served the district until 1882 when the old school ws leveled and a new frame schoolhouse of the same dimension was erected at a total cost of $1,272.80.
      July 16,1916 it was voted to move the present building south to allow room for the new building at a cost of $5,000.00.District Superintendent Malloch moved the trustees to get a vote.
    In 1924 there were 206 pupils during the year and only 3 teachers. The budget had reached $7,850 and high school pupils were being sent to Spencerport High. In 1925 voters approved building a new school
     The  school was renamed the Warren Harding School in 1925 and voters approved construction  of a brick building to be named in honor of the president. The old frame building from 1882 was removed in 1952 and new construction was joined to the 1925 brickwork to create an imposing facade.
    In 1931 Curtis Powers became principal and was followed a year later by Arthur Doty, who served Harding in that capacity for nearly 20 years. The board of trustees was organized into Board of Education of the Union free School and Harry Harmon was the first president of the board.
    A Mother's club was organized in November of 1938 and served the school and community until June 1949 when the P.T.A. was formed.
    The old building which had housed so many pupils since its erection in 1882 ws removed and the new addition ws joined to the brick building erected in 1925. The new addition began in 1953.At that time the trustees were:  Oscar A Haase, Kenneth Kemp, George J. Peterson and Harold T. Jenkinson.
    According to Town Historian Judy Deroy, the Warren Harding school later became a private school known as Northstar Academy on Spencerport Rd.

Science Hill School

It was at on the west side of  Manitou road just inside the Gates town line north of Spencerport Road.. It still stands today as a remodeled residence. Early history the residences didn't have addresses. This came about later in the 1900's
    The last trustee, Clayton Cady believe this one room schoolhouse ws established and built about 1835. The school closed about 1943 although no record is available says Mr Cady, who live on Lyell Road in the Town of Spencerport and was the last trustee.
    Mrs Edward Prevost, who was a member of the teaching staff of Warren Harding School remembers grades one through eight that were taught there." The recitation platform was in there front of there room and the pupils sat on either side. In the middle was the stove, and how we all wished we would have a seat near the stove in the winter. As far as I know there was never any inside plumbing."
    Two former teachers of the Science Hill School are Mrs. Herbert Spencer of Spencerport , and Mrs. Ward Maurer of Gates.

Centralization

In 1955, Gates District Nos. 1,4,5, and 7 and Chili District Nos. 2 and 11 were approved by voters for centralization. One year later they approved the purchase of 86 acres on the east side of Wegman Road for a high school, administration building, and 3 stall bus garage. The project began in June 4, 1957  designed by Benedict Ade, Architect at a cost of $3.6 million and in September 1958 was ready for seventh, eighth and ninth grade. The dedication ceremonies were held on May 24,1959.
    Cecil Luffman, formerly District Principal of the Hilton Schools, was named district Principal. In 1957 William J Kirkmire, then Principal of Thomas Edison elementary School, was named Assistant District Principal and on Mr Luffman's retirement on June 1962 he became District Principal.
    Harold W. Beam, formerly assistant Principal of Maryvale High School in Cheektowaga, N.Y., and who held a Master of Education Degree from the University of Michigan, was named Principal in 1959.