The computer-generated transcript of this page:
"I remember well being at school when they were building the Erie road, and the day (5-26-1843) the first locomotive came over the tracks, our teacher, Mr. Charles Stewart, dismissed the school and gave us all an opportunity to go out and view the curiosity, as we had never seen anything like it before, nor many of the older people in town as well."
FIRE AT THE DISTRICT SCHOOL
When the Annual meeting was held January 4, 1842, the trustees decided to investigate construction of a new school house. This was defeated at a special meeting August 19, 1843, but a month later, further exploration of the matter was ordered. It was finally decided to keep the same school house at the meeting of October 20, 1843. At this time in Middletown's history, the hamlet was prospering and becoming a place of some importance. Perhaps some felt such a place should have a new school building to reflect this growth. In the midst of the controversy, the school house on North Street burned to the ground January 12, 1844.
One historian has suggested the possibility of arson "committed by zealots who favored a new building." It is noted that in the district's record book the lines "the school house having accidentally caught fire and burned to the ground..." had been squeezed into the minutes. This was done as per a formal resolution at the meeting of January 1, 1845, almost a year later. A former student, however, later wrote "...it was expected of all teachers to build their own fires and everybody burned wood. One night, the teacher having left wood all around the stove to dry for morning, it took fire and the school house burned down."
THE ORCHARD STREET SCHOOL
What really happened will never be known, but the trustees were faced with the problem of building a new school house. classes were temporarily held in the foundry building on what is now Centre Street, for although the school meeting was held January 27, 1844 "on the school house ground," it was prudently adjourned "to the School Room in ... Madden J. Lemmon & Co's Foundry." It was agreed to take no "definite action" until a committee appointed to consider the possibilities reported their recommendations at a later meeting. Although not recorded in the minutes, one resident recalled attempts to select a suitable school location: "There were many localities proposed...A number wanted to build (on the north corner of North Street and Railroad Avenue), thinking there would be ample room for a playground. Others objected, it was so far out of town, the ground was low and it would be dangerous to have the children cross the railroad." At Lyceum Hall (then located on the second floor of Dill & Houston's storehouse on West Main Street facing Canal