09/04/2026
From the Cooney Archives: This Day in the History of Little Falls … “On September 5, 1882, our Board of Education leased a part of the old storehouse adjoining Timmerman’s coal yard for a schoolhouse for the south side. The end next to the canal will be occupied, and it is being fitted up and furnished with seats taken from the brick schoolhouse.”
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THE HISTORY OF EDUCATION IN LITTLE FALLS
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THE OLD STONE SCHOOLHOUSE
(Est. 1796)
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※ THE FIRST SCHOOL AT LITTLE FALLS
Following the Revolutionary War, as the resettlement at the Little Carrying Place grew into the emerging village of Little Falls, the need for formal education quickly became apparent. In 1796, a modest wooden schoolhouse was constructed on what is now the lot of the Old Stone Schoolhouse at 15 Church Street—then simply known as “the road to Newport,” a section of the newly built Mohawk Turnpike. Because tuition was required, only children from well to do families attended. Classes began each day with the sound of a horn blown by the first documented teacher, Elijah Case, who taught the three R’s as well as music.
Case’s influence extended beyond the classroom. He led the Little Falls Brass Band—later known as the Military Band—in their first recorded public performance on October 31, 1825. That morning, the band played atop the Aqueduct to welcome Governor DeWitt Clinton’s flotilla during the Grand Opening of the Erie Canal at Little Falls.
The early schoolhouse served many roles within the young village. During the cold months, church services were held there because the Octagon Church—then the only church in the village, which served as a shared place of worship for all denominations—was notoriously difficult to heat. Public meetings and government elections also took place within its walls. In 1811, Little Falls received its Village Charter of Incorporation at the schoolhouse, which formally establishing the Village of Little Falls out of the Township of Herkimer.
By 1814, the original wooden structure had deteriorated badly. On January 8 of that year, village leaders passed a resolution to replace it with a more substantial two story limestone building, using stone quarried locally. Built on the same Church Street lot, the new school separated students by gender—boys on the first floor, girls on the second.
The stone schoolhouse soon became a civic landmark. On May 29, 1827, Judge Nathaniel Benton was elected as the first village president within its walls, marking another foundational moment in Little Falls history.
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SAMUEL STILLMAN WHITMAN AND
THE WHITMAN PRIVATE SCHOOL
(Est. 1840s)
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※ The Whitmans
Educator Samuel Stillman Whitman arrived in Little Falls in 1836, bringing decades of teaching experience. Whitman was born on December 13, 1800, on his family’s farm in Fairfield, New York. At eighteen, he began teaching school in his home hamlet, marking the start of a lifelong devotion to education. In 1827, he married Mary Ann Arnold, also of Fairfield, and in 1836 the couple moved to Little Falls, where Whitman served as a supervisor for the New York Central Railroad, helping construct the railroad line beneath the Gulf Bridge.
The Whitmans settled in a house opposite the Baptist Church at 555 Albany Street. On December 11, 1841, they purchased a lot on Monroe Street from John Ward for $220 and built their family home at 2 Monroe Street, situated at the top of North Ann Street. At that time, the Whitmans were among the pioneer settlers on Monroe Street—the only other house stood across from the Church Street Cemetery, the surrounding area consisted of farmer’s fields and untamed woods.
Samuel and Mary Ann raised eight children, each woven into Little Falls’ civic and industrial history:
• Frances Rebecca (1829)
• Eugena Augusta (1832)
• Emily Lordelia (1833)
• Rodney Steven (1835) – Partnered with D. H. Burrell in the Whitman & Burrell Company (1868–1882), later president of the Rockton Whitman Knitting Mill (1884). His home is now the Little Falls Elks Lodge #42.
• Mary Elizabeth (1838)
• Henry Arnold (1842) – Inherited the Rollway Farm.
• Walter Ward (1845) – Joined the Whitman & Burrell Company in 1880, sold his shares in 1885, and managed the Rockton Whitman Mill with Rodney. His wife, Dr. Emma Louise Randal Whitman, who was the first female doctor in Little Falls. She died in 1920 after being struck by an Overland automobile while crossing North Ann Street on her way to church.
• Harriet Adelaide (1847)
※ Whitman as Educator and School Founder
By the 1840s, Whitman had returned to teaching, operating a private school in the basement of the Baptist Church. He later moved his classes to Washington Hall. Eventually, his own home at 2 Monroe Street became the site of the Whitman School, continuing his long commitment to local education.
※ Rollway Farm and Agricultural Leadership
On November 14, 1852, Whitman purchased Fall Hill Farm from Martin Priest for $2,100. Located on the south side of the Mohawk River across from the upper dam, Whitman renamed it the Rollway Farm. There he devoted himself to writing and agricultural advocacy.
He contributed regularly to the Country Gentleman’s Magazine and other agricultural journals, and he became one of the founding members of both the Herkimer County Agricultural Society and the Farmer’s Club. For the last twenty eight years of his life, Whitman lived and worked as a farmer, blending practical experience with thoughtful commentary on rural life.
※ Final Years
In 1872, Whitman suffered paralysis and spent his remaining years at his Monroe Street home. He died there on September 27, 1877, leaving behind a legacy of education, civic leadership, agricultural advancement, and a family deeply intertwined with Little Falls history.
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THE LITTLE FALLS ACADEMY ERA
(Est. 1844)
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※ A GROWING VILLAGE BUILDS A HIGH SCHOOL
As Little Falls grew in the early 19th century, so did the community’s commitment to education. In 1841, local citizens resolved that the village should establish a high school. Land was secured on the east side of Ward Square—today’s Eastern Park—at 770 East Main Street.
On April 11, 1842, Governor William Seward signed legislation granting control of the new school to a local board. The first officers of the Little Falls City Schools Board were Nathaniel Benton, president; Frederick Lansing, secretary; and Albert Story, treasurer.
※ THE 1844 LITTLE FALLS ACADEMY
Construction delays pushed the opening of the school to September 1844. The three story stone building cost $12,000 and became known as Little Falls Academy.
According to Cooney’s written words “Tuition in the Primary Department was $2.50; in the Academic Department, $3.50; Latin, Greek, French, Algebra, Chemistry and Natural Philosophy were $5.50. In the Primary Department were 28 males and 33 females; in the Academic Department, 158 "Young Gentlemen" and 142 "Young Ladies." Rooms were rented for two dollars a term for those residing out of town, and firewood was furnished for an additional fifty cents a winter.”
According to the Cooney Archives: This Day In the History of Little Falls ... “On October 17, 1844, the Little Falls Academy, the first large structure devoted to higher education in the village, was incorporated by the regents of the state of New York. The three-story high stone structure, containing six large and 26 small rooms, was built at a cost of $12,000 and housed 217 students. The bell was donated by Dudley Burwell. “
※ THE 1868 BENTON HALL
In 1868—just one year before Judge Benton’s death—a second building was added to the east of the Academy. Built for elementary grades, it was named Benton Hall in honor of Benton, who had been elected Little Falls’ first village president in 1827.
By 1873, Little Falls adopted a free school system, and by 1879 the Church Street School, Jefferson Street School, and Benton Hall all served elementary students. The high school continued operating in the original 1844 Academy building.
※ PROGRESS AND REFORM IN THE LATE 19th CENTURY
According to the Cooney Archives: This Day in the History of Little Falls …” On July 9, 1886, a new law gives women the right to vote at school meetings providing they reside in the school district, has a child who has attended school for eight weeks within one year preceding, the child resides with him or her permanently, and owns personal property exceeding $55.”
In 1895, the 1868 Benton Hall building was razed and replaced with a new elementary school, which retained the Benton Hall name.
According to the Cooney Archives: This Day in the History of Little Falls..."On September 22, 1896, the title of “Union School and Academy” will be changed to “Little Falls High School” by the Board of Regents who passed an ordinance changing the names of all public secondary schools to High School. A large delegation of local students will be attending college or normal schools including Williams, Yale, Columbia, Vassar, Oberlin, and Albany, Oswego, Brockport & Genesco Normal Schools."
According to the Cooney Archives: This Day in the History of Little Falls…”On June 29, 1898, the Board of Education contracted with William Dove for the er****on of a new Grade and High School on the site of the Academy and Benton Hall. While work was progressing during the winter, classes were held in Quackenbush Hall.”
The 1844 Academy building was razed that same year. Architect Archimedes Russell, who also designed Burrell’s Overlook Mansion, created the new Romanesque Revival high school facing Ward Square. Interior woodwork was rejected and rebuilt, and the building was completed in August 1900.
According to the Cooney Archives: This Day in the History of Little Falls ...“On December 8, 1899, do not forget the high school congress debate tonight at the Quackenbush Hall. The question is the Transvaal question. The proceeds are for the high school decoration fund.”
According to the Cooney Archives: This Day in the History of Little Falls ..."On December 1, 1903, Superintendent of Schools, C. H. Warfield, earlier this year had instituted a savings system among the Little Falls school children. Deposits of their pennies and nickels have become surprisingly large, and as of this date a total of $1,652 is in the Rochester Savings Bank.”
※ THE 1929–1931 EAST MAIN STREET ADDITION
On May 2, 1929, the Walsh Brothers Construction Company began building a major addition facing East Main Street. Completed in 1931 at a cost of $290,000, it included an auditorium, classrooms, and a gymnasium—soon the home court for all basketball games.
In 1967, the gym was named the Wilbur Crisp Gym in honor of legendary coach Wilbur Crisp, who served Little Falls High School from 1926 to 1958. Crisp had been a standout college player at Cortland and Syracuse University, captaining Syracuse’s undefeated 1913 team. He invented several sports aids, including an adjustable basketball backboard and an early electric wall mounted game timer. Crisp was inducted into the Utica Sports Hall of Fame (1992) and the National High School Sports Hall of Fame (2001). He passed away in 1969.
Several historical newspaper excerpts in the Cooney Archives offer further insight into Crisp’s achievements and additional milestones of the school system. A selection of these is as follows:
According to the Cooney Archives: This Day in the History of Little Falls ... “On March 28, 1930, a large contingent of 3,500 fans from Little Falls, traveled to Syracuse to see the Wilber Crisp coached high school team defeat Cohoes 25 to 9 to win the New York State basketball championship. Splendid teamwork on the part of the purple & white, and the scoring of Beck and Kane were too much for Cohoes. Crisp and Mucica heard over the radio after the game.”
According to the Cooney Archives: This Day in the History of Little Falls ..."On February 23, 1933, the home talent, three act farce “Henry’s Wedding,” sponsored by the Junior Welfare League, pleased a large audience at the High school auditorium. In all there were 125 prominent local people in the show including Wilbur Crisp as “O’Flaherty, Chief of Detectives.” The production also tickled a gathering of school kiddies at a matinee yesterday afternoon.”
According to the Cooney Archives: This Day in the History of Little Falls ... “On February 27, 1953, the first boy’s homemaking class at Little Falls High School was in full swing. Students included Thursty” McKusick, Fred Urich, Tito DiTata, and Ted Van Slyke. Laura Ehman was the teacher.”
According to the Cooney Archives: This Day in the History of Little Falls … “On May 29, 1953, by a 1,284 to 421 tally, Little Falls area voters approved school centralization. The new district included city districts and 15 districts from surrounding towns. A seven-member school board was created.”
According to the Cooney Archives: This Day in the History of Little Falls … “On June 30, 1963, Superintendent of Schools, Joseph S. Horton, retired after over 30 years of service as a chief school administrator and eleven years in the local school system.”
※ RENOVATION AND REBIRTH: BENTON HALL ACADEMY
The three historic buildings—1895, 1898, and 1929—survived into the late 20th century but required major modernization. In 1994, community discussions led to a three phase renovation plan. At a cost of $12.3 million, all three buildings were gutted and fully reconstructed. The rehabilitation of the 1895 and 1929 buildings was completed in 1996, and the work on the 1898 building was finished the following year, in 1997.
The result was a fully renewed school, known today as Benton Hall Academy.
※ STEAM EXPANSION, 2021
On October 12, 2021, Benton Hall Academy students began taking Education by Design (EbD) classes in a newly constructed STEAM Lab addition on the Petrie Street side of the school. The program was initiated and is led by Tracy Scarano Young, a teacher in the Little Falls City School District.
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JEFFERSON STREET SCHOOL
(Est. 1846)
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※ A NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL THAT ENDURED
The Jefferson Street School began as a modest wood frame building constructed in 1846 at 549 East Jefferson Street. Its early decades were marked by both growth and disruption. In 1882, blasting by the West Shore Railroad—cutting through stone to lay new tracks—damaged the original wooden structure. That same year, the school was rebuilt in brick and expanded with additional stories, giving it a more substantial and fire resistant presence in the neighborhood.
Despite the improvements, the school faced two major fires, in 1908 and again in 1917. After each blaze, the building was repaired, enlarged, and strengthened, reflecting the community’s determination to maintain a thriving elementary school on Jefferson Street.
According to the Cooney Archives: This Day in the History of Little Falls … “On July 7, 1882, two cannon balls, one 20 # and the other 10 #, were found on West Shore Road near the brick school (Jefferson Street School.) Others had been found in the area by construction workers, and they were thought to date back to the Revolutionary War.”
According to the Cooney Archives: This Day in the History of Little Falls… “On March 16, 1903, a damaging blaze in the Jefferson Street school early this morning, originating in the furnace room, left two rooms badly scorched. Fortunately, none of the students had reported for the morning session. Insurance covered all of the costs except on students’ books.”
Through fires, reconstruction, and the rapid industrial changes of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Jefferson Street School remained a steady educational anchor for generations of Little Falls children.
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Church Street School
(Est. 1848)
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※ From Octagon Church to City Park
The story of the Church Street School begins with the Octagon Church, once located at the intersection of Church and Prospect Streets. When the Octagon Church was razed in 1842, its former lot—31 Church Street—was transferred to the school board in 1847 by John Ward. The following year, in 1848, a new brick schoolhouse was constructed on the site for $3,900, with William Chase serving as carpenter and Robert Stewart as brick mason, being the same skilled craftsman that built the Old Stone Bank Museum.
The new schoolhouse became the first Church Street School.
As Little Falls grew, so did the need for a more substantial building. In 1888, contractor C. D. West received the commission to construct a new stone schoolhouse for $22,000. The area where the Octagon Church once stood was transformed into a small city park, preserving the memory of the village’s earliest religious landmark.
According to the Cooney Archives: This Day in the History of Little Falls … “On April 19, 1889, the old Church Street School has been cleared of its furniture etc. and contractors will start the work of pulling down the old structure. The bricks for the new building are on the ground.”
According to the Cooney Archives: This Day in the History of Little Falls ... “On September 23, 1889, the new schoolhouse on Church Street was put into use today. For the past few days the building has received scores of visitors every day, many of whom were little girls who expect to attend school in the new structure."
According to the Cooney Archives: This Day in the History of Little Falls … “On July 29, 1913, stones, undoubtedly the walls of the 1796 Octagon Church, were unearthed by workmen employed on a drainage and heating system project for the Church Street School.”
The site continued to reveal its layered past. During drainage and heating system work in 1913, laborers uncovered stones believed to be remnants of the 1796 Octagon Church, linking the modern school grounds back to one of Little Falls’ earliest community institutions.
Through reconstruction, expansion, and the passage of generations, the Church Street School remained a central educational and civic landmark—its foundations literally built atop the earliest chapters of Little Falls history.
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ST. MARY’S ACADEMY
(Est. 1850)
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※ A CATHOLIC INSTITUTION EXPANDS
A parochial education in Little Falls began in 1850, when St. Mary’s Church established its first school on John Street. The small building contained two rooms and was staffed by two lay teachers, serving the growing Catholic community.
By 1880, a more substantial two story stone school had been constructed—the eastern half of the present day structure. Built of locally quarried limestone by Thomas Kearny, with interior work completed by Charles Eagan, the new building opened under the direction of the Capuchan Sisters of the Infant of Jesus of St. Joseph’s. Upon the school’s completion, the Sisters moved from their residence on Hancock Street into the newly established St. Mary’s Convent.
According to the Cooney Archives: This Day in the History of Little Falls ... “On September 10, 1886, the parochial school connected with St. Mary’s church opened with nearly 300 pupils, with their instructions being furnished by four lay teachers. The average for each teacher is too large for the best results, but no more than for Union schools. The large number of students is due in part to child labor laws in our mills.”
※ BECOMING ST. MARY’S ACCADEMY
In 1898, the school was officially renamed St. Mary’s Academy and received a Charter from the New York Board of Regents. Enrollment was impressive: 475 elementary students and 140 high school students. The faculty included nine elementary teachers—eight Catholic Nuns and one lay teacher—and seven Nuns teaching in the high school. The church also employed music and physical education instructors, reflecting a broad curriculum.
※ EXPANSION OF 1911
St. Mary’s Academy underwent a major alteration in 1911, doubling in size. A third floor was added to serve as a Parish School Hall, expanding space for assemblies, performances, and community events.
According to the Cooney Archives: This Day in the History of Little Falls ... “On December 27, 1911, St. Mary’s new School Hall opened with a dance and a party.”
※ MID-CENTURY CHANGES
By the late 20th century, shifting enrollment and educational needs brought significant change.
According to the Cooney Archives: This Day in the History of Little Falls ... “On May 23, 1970, in a letter read at Sunday Masses at St. Mary’s Church, it was made known that the high school department of St. Mary’s Academy will be closed at the end of the current school year.”
Despite the closure of the high school, the parish continued to invest in its educational facilities.
According to the Cooney Archives: This Day in the history of Little Falls ... “On September 24, 1972, approximately 400 of St. Mary’s parishioners and friends assembled for the dedication of the new multi-purpose auditorium-gymnasium that had been erected at the rear of St. Mary’s Academy. Most Rev. Edwin B. Broderick, bishop of Albany was present to bless the building. Rev. Joseph F. Barker was present as pastor. John B. McGuire was toastmaster."
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MONROE STREET SCHOOL
(Est. 1921)
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※ A MODERN ELEMENTARY
In 1921, the Little Falls City School District acquired the Maher property at 156 West Monroe Street and constructed a new elementary school on the site at a cost of $215,000. This modern facility became known as Monroe Street School and represented a major step forward for the district: it was the first city school to include its own gymnasium. Until then, all physical education classes for Little Falls students had taken place at the YMCA at 15 Jackson Street.
According to the Cooney Archives: This Day in the History of Little Falls … “On December 3, 1920, before a large gathering, the cornerstone laying exercises were held at the West Monroe Street school building with Mayor Gilbert as principal speaker. School pupils sang several patriotic selections. The building opened in 1921.”
With its dedicated gymnasium, modern classrooms, and prominent location on Monroe Street, the school quickly became an important educational anchor for families on the west side of Little Falls. Its construction marked a new era of investment in elementary education and student recreation within the city.
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Little Falls Junior–Senior High School
(Est. 1970)
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According to the Cooney Archives: This Day in the History of Little Falls … “On July 11, 1968, eleven months after voters approved the project, Rupert Palmer, President of the Board of Education, signed a $2,395,457 contract for the construction of a new Little Falls Junior–Senior High School at the Top Notch Road site. Work was scheduled to begin immediately, marking one of the most significant school building initiatives in the city’s history.”
The new high school—located at 1 High School Road—opened for classes in September 1970. Architect Warren H. Ashley of West Hartford, Connecticut, designed the building with a modern open room concept, giving the school a contemporary, campus like feel that reflected evolving educational philosophies of the late 1960s.
The structure encompassed 126,000 square feet and cost $3,000,000 to complete. Its auditorium, designed for large group instruction, seated 1,000 students, making it one of the most versatile educational spaces in the region. The building’s innovative design earned a National Architecture Award in 1970, recognizing Little Falls’ commitment to forward thinking educational environments.
With its modern layout, expansive facilities, and award winning architecture, the Little Falls Junior–Senior High School became a defining landmark of the city’s educational landscape—ushering in a new era for generations of students.
*Digitizing of Historical Photo by Gail & Mike Potter, FROM THE COONEY ARCHIVES: THIS DAY IN HISTORY by Louis Baum, JR, Article written by Darlene Smith, assisted by Grammarly.
👉🏻For those who wish to become a member of the Little Falls Historical Society, please go to: https://littlefallshistoricalsociety.org/become-a-member/
🏦The Little Falls Historical Society’s Old Bank Museum is open for FREE TOURS for the summer season on Mondays and Wednesdays from 1 to 4 PM, and Saturdays from 9:00 AM until noon. It will also be open every other Friday from 1 to 4 PM, beginning May 29th. If you would like to schedule a tour for off hours, please contact either Louis Baum @ 315-867-3527, Mary Ann Terzi @ 315-823-1502, or Jeffrey Gressler @ 315-823-2799 to schedule an appointment.
