History of the John Lewis Childs School

large view John Lewis Childs

The little white school house, established in the year 1873, was a one story frame building located on part of the John Betz farm which was situated on the south side of Jericho Turnpike about opposite Rocky Hill Road. Mr. Betz had given the land to be used for a school with the provision that it would revert to him when no longer needed for that purpose. Years later the farm was cut up into building lots and became Bellerose Terrace. The school house was situated almost on the old site of the Bellerose Theater and was designated as Schoolhouse Number 8, Town of Flushing, Queens County.

Children attending the school walked two and three miles in all kinds of weather!

In 1894, New York State decided that Queens County was too large and unwieldy, and so part of it was used to create a new county to be known as Nassau County.

Fortunately, the village fathers of East Hinsdale had been alerted to the probable changes in the county lines and had already begun to look about for another school site. Several pieces of property were considered, but owners were unwilling to sell, and for a time it was feared that court proceedings might be necessary to procure a site. One of the locations considered was on Tyson Avenue not far from Jericho Turnpike and about 200 feet north of the old Stewart Railroad track. This was considered the most central location in the village, and finally Mrs. Spooner, the owner, decided to accept the offer of $2,000 for the plot of one acre, and an architect was engaged to draw plans. At a meeting on May 23, 1894, in the home of William Herbert Tilton, who was a committee of one in charge of rooms for the school, $20,000 was voted for the site and building to be erected. This location brought the school into Union Free School District #22, Town of Hempstead. At this time there were 100 children in the district.

At the same meeting where the building site was agreed upon, the first Board of Education was elected.

Two teachers were hired July 25, 1894 - E.H. Cook for one year at $72 a month "all janitor work to be included except scrubbing floors and washing windows" and Emma D. Barker at $40 per month.

At this same meeting it was voted to have Mr. Frost draw up a notice regarding the "mutilation of desks, books, etc." Each child was to take the notice home to his parents who would read therein, "parents are to be held responsible and bills for damage will be sent to parents."

On September 5, 1895 the school was placed in full operation in the new building.

During his very first year in the new school, Mr. Cook became seriously ill and passed away. Mrs. Barker also suffered ill health and was forced to resign, and Mr. Keator resigned from the Board of Education. John Lewis Childs was elected to fill his place and thus began a happy association that was to last throughout his life. So much a part of the school life of the village did Mr. Childs become that today, in his memory, the school which claimed so much of his time and thought bears his name. The change in name was made June 1, 1921, in the year of Mr. Childs' death.

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