The Demolition of Washington School
By Theresa Colacino, Class of 1928
According to an article in the Courier-Gazette dated July 15, 1948, a wrecking crew began removing the three-story old Washington School building from its 57-year site at the corner of Church Street and East Avenue.
The contract between the village (who owned the building) and the Alliance Wrecking Co. of Rochester, low bidder for the job, was signed July 16, 1948. Village Attorney Avery B. Robinson drew up the contract.
Sam LaPlaca, head of the wrecking firm, stated he would start the demolition work as the contract was executed. His bid of $1,790 was low among four submitted to the Village Board.
Mr. LaPlaca, the supervising personnel, and his crew came from Rochester. Several local men from Newark were hired. Mr. LaPlaca said that little of the thousands of bricks and sandstone in the structure was of any salvage value.
The first thing they did was to dismantle the big memorial clock and bell atop of the building. The clock, which cost $7,000, and the clock bell were placed in storage. Next the roof came off, the walls collapsed inward, and a power shovel scooped up the debris which was carted away.
The concrete basement floor was broken up first, however, to prevent water from collecting and stagnating there.
The completion took less than six months. There were many people viewing the wrecking with memories of their school days.
Fay Rumsey, Newark Salvage Chairman, on a snooping tour for scrap metal, climbed on top of the old High School Building to retrieve the original school bell (not tower bell). The bell will ring for victory as part of the village junk heap.
In 1944, the school housed between 160 and 175 German Prisoners of War for several years.
A barricade fence, with 35 strands of barbed wire was placed around three sides of the building. The west wing was blocked off.
A tower was built on the corner of East Avenue and Church Street which was used by the 30 military police guards.
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