MASSAPEQUA AVENUE SCHOOL

My previous blog described the small wooden schoolhouses that existed in the Massapequas  for a century beginning in 1820. The population of the area had grown steadily by the end of World War I, prompting community leaders to think forward about the education process. The Massapequa Board of Trade and the Massapequa Civic Association both went on record as supporting construction of a new, modern school to replace the wooden two room building that stood on Park Boulevard. The building was adequate to support the current school population (about 50 students), but it lacked running water, indoor plumbing and a modern heating system.  Plans were afoot to increase the area’s population, initially through Queens Land and Title Company’s initiative to build a “new city” of 20,000 residents in the area between Broadway and Hicksville Road. That would have certainly required a larger school.

From the 1860s, one trustee had overseen the existing school, and he was a Floyd-Jones:  Elbert from 1867 to 1890, George Stanton from 1891 to 1906 and Edward H. from 1907 to 1924, more evidence of the enormous influence of the Floyd-Jones family over the area. Spurred on by population change, the New York State Department of Education approved creation of a special School District, numbered District 23, to be overseen by a Board of Trustees. In the first Board elected in 1925, George H. Floyd-Jones was the Chairman, the two other Trustees were Joseph Andreini and Dr. Warren Smith, James McCarthy was District Clerk and Herman Maass was Treasurer. A very revealing incident occurred the next year, as Edna Braucher became the first woman Trustee to be elected, replacing Edward H. Floyd-Jones. As well as bringing women into management roles in the school system, her appointment  provided a clear example of the waning influence of the Floyd-Jones family over Massapequa’s affairs as the population grew and diversified.

Board members were united about the need for a modern school building, and were spurred on by community groups, as mentioned above. They agreed to build a five room brick building, designed by a local architect, at a cost of $92,000, which would cover plumbing, heating, a phone system, furniture and landscaping around the building. One of the bones of contention was the location, with some members favoring a site near the LIRR tracks. Financial considerations prevailed, however, and the current location was chosen despite it being a low area with a swamp to the east, over toward Massapequa Lake. The lower cost of the site obviously attracted the Board members, but the fact a stream ran below the property prevented the Trustees from building a basement. The original school remained at ground level until the late 1940s, when a major overhaul was undertaken to accommodate an expanding school population and a basement was added.

The next blog will delve more deeply into the curriculum, teachers and unique features of the Massapequa Avenue School.