Welcome to this page, created for those of us who graduated in 1973 from Academy Elementary School, the only Williamsville school ever located within the boundaries of the Village of Williamsville. Academy closed its doors as a public school of the Williamsville Central School District quite a few years ago, but lives on in the sentiments of many who went there.
We hope visiting here fills you with fond memories. If you have any to share, we'd love it if you did! We are especially looking for more class pictures, and hope to have a complete set soon.
The photo above was taken on September 30, 2000. The building now houses the private Christian Central Academy, but on the outside has changed little over the last 30 years. The big, blue-green water tower still delineates the back corner of the playground, but, sadly, the monkey bars and the spider are gone (but not forgotten).
For some recent pictures, click here.
As mentioned on the Williamsville South Class of 1980 Alumni Web Site, it was built in 1921 on the site of the Williamsville Classical Institute, which had served the schooling needs of this area since 1857. When Academy first opened, it was a K-12 school, and became a primary-only school in 1951, when the Williamsville High School (now Williamsville South) was constructed. (source: A History of the Town of Amherst, New York, Sue Miller Young, 1965).
Looking around the school reveals some interesting historical artifacts. For example, the stone above the main entrance above has the words "High School" engraved in it. One presumes that this is where the older pupils entered, while the younger ones would have entered elsewhere. Two doorways, one in front and one in back, are labeled "Boys" and "Girls", respectively, and remind us of the days before schools were co-ed. Finally, you get an appreciation of the age of the building by both the solid stone construction and the massive trees that flank it (and which make taking photos difficult).
The school is located at the top of the Onondaga Escarpment, the same geological feature that forms Glen Falls, further west down Main Street (the escarpment is also the reason the Black Rock ship canal, which runs under the Peace Bridge, was created). I have been told that this escarpment is a fault created by the weight of the glaciers during the last ice age, and in fact is the place where they stopped, and later receded, 10,000 years ago. I don't know if this is accurate, but it makes a great story. According to this source, The Onondaga Escarpment is the southern shore of Lake Tonawanda, a glacial lake that once covered Amherst and Tonawanda.
It is rumored that there are caves in the escarpment along Spring Street, and there are stories (unverified, as far as I know) that these caves were used by local taverns to keep beer kegs cold, to hide booze during Prohibition, and as a stopping point on the Underground Railroad.
Below the school, at the bottom of the escarpment, was the Chalmer's Gelatin Factory, the only actual factory ever located in the town of Amherst. It closed in the late 1960s, and many of us remember cutting through the remains on our way to Academy or South, peeking into abandoned buildings and going around pools of black, icky stuff. There was a natural spring there, which used to feed into a drainage ditch that still goes under Mill Middle and through backyards on the west side of Mill Street, which they used to flush the tanks and equipment at the end of the day. The old-timers on Mill Street remembered that every day, around 4:00 PM, the "creek" would turn milky white, with an occasional cow hoof or eyeball drifting along ...
For each grade, choose one of the links below:
| Year | Grade | Pictures | Memories |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967-1968 | Kindergarten | Miss Muegel Mrs. Merritt Mrs. Metz |
|
| 1968-1969 | First Grade (Primary A) | Mrs. Ficker Mrs. Walker Miss Wilson |
Rhyme and Reason |
| 1969-1970 | Second Grade (Primary B) | Mrs. Lennert Miss Wehling/Miss Webb |
Rhyme and Reason |
| 1970-1971 | Third Grade (Primary C) | Mrs. Gelsinger Mrs. Hequembourg Mrs. Pipolo |
Rhyme and Reason |
| 1971-1972 | Fourth Grade (Intermediate A) | Mrs. Eagleton Mrs. Granger Mrs. Kuhn Mrs. Streifort |
Rhyme and Reason |
| 1972-1973 | Fifth Grade (Intermediate B) | Mrs. Newman Mrs. Palmer Mrs. Pipolo Mrs. VanPell |
Rhyme and Reason |
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Principal | Mr. Versal S. LaPress |
| Asst. Principal | Mrs. Elizabeth Pearce |
| Art | Mrs. Noell |
| Cafeteria | Mrs. Crosley |
| Librarian | Mrs. LaPorte |
| Music | Mr. Coppola Mrs. Heywood |
| Phys. Ed. | Mr. Paar Mr. Jones |
Take a look at some miscellanous pictures.
Want to read some random thoughts and memories?
Remember i/t/a? We sure do!
While a few people have contributed bits to this site, here are the ones that deserve special notice:
