Early History of Bainbridge Central School

Early History of Bainbridge Central School

Chenango County, New York

Bainbridge News & Republican, July 27, 1939

After some controversy regarding sites for a Union Free School, the site selected and adopted March 8, 1873, was the one in present use, viz., one acre of land situated on Richard W. Juliand's farm and bounded on the east by highway called Juliand street, on southwest by highway running near the house of Rufus and Samuel Bennett, and on the northwest and northeast by lands of said Juliand being ten rods on Juliand street and sixteen rods on the other street.  Price paid was $400.

 

A warranty deed for same was given March 27, 1873.  At a school meeting held March 22, 1873, the sum of $800 was voted to build a new schoolhouse and for necessary fixtures and furniture.  July 19, 1873, the building of the schoolhouse was let to O.C. Lattimer, our fellow townsman of Bainbridge, for $7,800.  October 14, 1873, the Board of Education was instructed to furnish seats, procure the necessary library which was done by soliciting, the people giving gladly and to establish an Academic Department.

 

January 19, 1874, a stormy, cloudy, rainy day, the building was dedicated.  Dr. -?- of the First Presbyterian Church of Binghamton preached the dedicatory sermon.  Everything was completed and school opened with EW. Rogers as principal, the Misses E.H. Gilbert and Addie Baldwin as assistants.  The students of the academic department were workers and burned the midnight oil to prepare for next day's lessons.

 

District No. 11 had one rule endorsed by the Board of Education.  There was to be no going out evenings without permission during school week until Friday night.  There were no joy rides, no card parties or dances until Friday night.

 

No graduating work was prepared during the administration of Professor Rogers.  His resignation as principal was received and accepted by the Board July 14, 1876.

 

He was succeeded by Prof. A.G. Kilmer of Cobleskill who remained until the close of the summer term of 1879.

 

A graduating course was laid out and adopted, and the first graduating exercises were held in the year 1878.  Misses Ann Juliand (Dickinson) and Lina Freiott (Copley) were the first graduates of the school.  The standing of the Bainbridge school among the High Schools of the State was third according to Bardeen's School Bulletin.

 

In 1899, a part of the building was destroyed by fire and, when that part was rebuilt, an addition was made. In the succeeding years a house and barn were bought to accommodate the increasing number of pupils.

 

In the fifty years following the founding of the school the number of the pupils gradually increased from about 175 in the first year to 344 in 1924.

 

The course of study was also enlarged.  In the beginning there were no courses in German or French, but Greek and Latin were both taught.

 

The new centralized school, with modern equipment and a more comprehensive course of study was built in 1935.

 

Following in the footsteps of other principals, Francis J. Casey, "Prof." to his pupils and the townspeople, came in the Fall of 1920 to act in the capacity of adviser and friend as well as principal of the school.  This Fall [1939], in the sixty-fifth year of the Bainbridge School, he begins his twentieth year as principal.