In the case of the wooden building once known as the Glendale School—shown in a photo taken sometime around 1938-40—it ceased being a school more than once, only to be used that way again.

While it stood, the school was located on the north side of Central Avenue, between Webster Avenue (Olmstead Place, now 71st Street) and Tompkins Avenue (now 70th Street) in Glendale.

It was built in 1893—a wooden two-story structure with 12 classrooms and sliding walls to accommodate classes of different sizes. It was similar to Ridgewood’s Union Free School No. 9 (later known as P.S. 68, before it was replaced by the current brick building), which had been built the previous year.

Previously known as the Glendale School and P.S. 67, this wooden building on Central Avenue at 71st Street was serving as an annex for Grover Cleveland High School when the above photo was taken. (photo: New York City Board of Education)

The parcel of Glendale land (75’ x 100’) to be used as the school site had been acquired from Joseph Tompkins in October 1884 for $300. After the school was built, an adjacent strip of 25’ x 125’ was acquired in May 1893 from Herman Gundlach for $950.

Name changed

On Jan. 1, 1898, when the City of Brooklyn and part of Queens County were consolidated with New York City, the Glendale School was re-designated as Public School 67.

An addition was constructed in 1900, followed by another in 1905. However, even with these enlargements, it was obvious that the school could not keep up with the expanding population of school children in Glendale. Accordingly, the Board of Education of the City of New York started acquiring land adjacent to Public School 67. They tried condemnation in November 1905 and were forced to pay $5,127 for a strip 18’x100’.

Land deals followed

This led to a change in tactics and they started to dicker with various property owners. In July 1906, they acquired a 25’ x 100’ plot from Peter Offerman for $750 and in the same month, a 50’ x 100’ plot from C.H. Ruff for $3,200. In August 1906, they purchased from John Hartwig a 50’ x 100’ plot for $1,800 and in October 1906, a 50’ x 100’ plot from Sarah Lambert for $3,000. This completed the purchase and the city’s Board of Education now owned the entire 200’ front on Central Avenue from Webster to Tompkins avenues—143’ deep on Webster and 175’ deep on Tompkins.

Two annexes were built on piles on the Tompkins Avenue side of the property. The floor beams for the annexes almost touched the ground.

New civic had concerns

On Mar. 9, 1911, the Glendale Taxpayers Association was organized. Members were concerned about the safety of the school children attending P.S. 67 because it was a wooden structure. They requested that a fire escape be installed and in 1912, this was done. However, by November 1912 they started campaigning for a new brick school to replace P.S. 67, which was labeled a wooden fire trap.

The former site of P.S. 67 is now the location of “Uncle” Vito F. Maranzano Playground, as photographed looking north on Central Avenue at 71st Street. (photo: J. Naughton)

In addition, local activists were complaining about a pond on Webster Avenue, about a block from the school, which had formed from run-off water from Lutheran Cemetery. In the summer, children waded in the water and in the winter, used it for a sliding pond.

By 1912, P.S. 67 housed 24 classes, which were part-time, with 900 pupils in the main building and the two annexes.

No trolley dodging

In 1903, the Board of Education, looking into future needs, had purchased a school site on the southeast corner of Myrtle Avenue and Washington Avenue (later called Tesla Place, and now 72nd Street). However, as the outcry grew to replace P.S. 67, it was thought that the electric trolley cars running along Myrtle Avenue made a school location on Myrtle Avenue too dangerous.

As a result, a different site was acquired several blocks from P.S. 67 on the south side of Central Avenue, from Fosdick Avenue (69th Street) to Folsom Avenue (68th Place), and construction started in 1914 on a brick school with 43 classrooms. In 1916, it opened as Public School 91 with J. Wesley Drumm as principal. It was designed to handle all the school children in Glendale. P.S. 67 was closed and put on a standby basis.

The annex buildings which had been constructed at P.S. 67 were sold. George Schwartz bought one for his Glendale Dairy and used it for a cow barn.

Gave relief to P.S. 91

By 1921, P.S. 91 had 1,476 pupils and 37 teachers. With Glendale’s continued growth during the 1920s, eventually P.S. 91 became overcrowded and it was necessary to reopen P.S. 67 as an annex, handling grades 3, 4, and 5.

In 1928, P.S. 113 opened at 87-21 79th Ave., in the eastern section of Glendale, and in 1930, P.S. 119 (now I.S. 119) opened at 78th Avenue and 74th Street, Glendale. With the latter opening, P.S. 67 was taken out of service and placed on standby again. Annette Riordan was appointed assistant principal of P.S. 119, reporting to J. Wesley Drumm at P.S. 91. Eventually, she was made principal and she reported to the district.

From annex to playground

In 1931, Grover Cleveland High School opened. Eventually, it became overcrowded and it was necessary to reopen P.S. 67 as an annex for Grover Cleveland High School. When the overcrowding eased, the continued existence of P.S. 67 was no longer required. The building was torn down, with the site becoming a public playground.

Named for local leader

In September 2006, a dedication ceremony was held at the location where Glendale Playground was renamed in honor of the late “Uncle” Vito F. Maranzano, the longtime president of the Glendale Property Owners Association (formerly known as the Glendale Taxpayers Association).

Glendale’s P.S. 91 on Central Avenue between 69th Street and 68th Place, as it looked in 1920. During the 1920s, overcrowding at P.S. 91 led to the use of the P.S. 67 building as an annex. (photo: New York City Board of Education)

Long after the school building was demolished, old timers in Glendale would recall running up and down P.S. 67’s wooden stairs, as they went to and from classes, and its pot-bellied stoves that heated the classrooms in cold weather.

Old Timer’s note—Much of the history contained in this week’s column originally was presented in the “Our Neighborhood” feature that appeared in the Apr. 19, 1984 issue of this newspaper.

The photos of P.S. 67 and P.S. 91 presented this week were provided by the Greater Ridgewood Historical Society.

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