A school story The building which came to be known as the Trowbridge School opened its doors to students in 1926. It came to bear the name of John T. Trowbridge, Spencerport resident and author. This building at 67 Lyell Avenue was the main district school for Spencerport Central Schools (SCS) and housed grades kindergarten-12. The district grew and new schools were built, Bernabi Elementary in 1957, the current Cosgrove Middle in 1961, (which once served as the high school building), Munn Elementary opened in 1964 and Taylor Elementary in 1966. The current Spencerport High School building was once the district’s middle school and was built in 1969. The district Administration Building was an elementary school until it was converted in 1977. As part of the district changes, the Trowbridge building became a high school and eventually the school for all ninth grade students. Ed Przybycien was an assistant principal at Trowbridge and Spencerport High schools (SHS). “The ninth-graders were coming from Cosgrove Middle School, a new school building, to Trowbridge, the oldest building in the district. Some of the students did not want this change but so many students told me of how they remember their ninth grade year as one of their favorite high school years. The kids had an opportunity to come together as a class without feeling pressure from students in the upper classes,” he explained. Laurie Boughter, an assistant principal at SHS, was a student at Trowbridge and also agrees with Przybycien. “As a student, you could face the academic rigors without the social aspect of a 9-12 building,” she said. Przybycien has many fond memories of his 37 years as an educator and administrator for SCS, especially at Trowbridge. “One year, we were getting ready for a pep assembly. I was getting the kids psyched up by asking them, ‘How many of you have older brothers and sisters who tell you what to do? Now is your time.’ This was their motivation. We walked the entire class from Trowbridge up the hill to the high school and blew the doors off the gym,” he said. According to Przybycien, Trowbridge served as a ninth grade academy for 12 years. “It was only supposed to be a temporary move because the class sizes were becoming too large at the high school,” he explained. However, this change proved to be beneficial for not only students but also teachers. “Because only the ninth grade was in Trowbridge, the teachers really got to know the students and the teachers all worked together for the benefit of the students. This was the beginning of informal team teaching in our district,” Przybycien said. Przybycien also attended Trowbridge School when it was a high school and graduated in 1952 with a class of 52 students. He retired from the district in 1996 as the principal of Cosgrove Middle School. The building went through many changes during its 60 years as a school. A gymnasium and locker rooms were added and the old gym was converted to an auditorium. Even though these capital improvements were made, the age of the building began to show. The district closed the school in 1984 for numerous reasons. A decline in student enrollment coupled with the need for massive repairs totalling almost $700,000 in order to bring the building up to the necessary codes outweighed any option of keeping the school open. “The old building lost its usefulness as a school building and in order to meet all the appropriate codes, it was not a financially viable option,” said Fred Seiler, assistant superintendent for business for Spencerport Central Schools. The building stood vacant until 1986. A new beginning Gollel refurbished the building into 32 one and two bedroom apartments spending over $1 million for these renovations. He purchased the building for many different reasons but most importantly, “It was a good deal located in the village and I had gone to school in this building,” he explained. Gollel attended Trowbridge for two years before the high school opened and graduated from Spencerport High School. The building also contained large spaces, such as an auditorium and a gymnasium that had potential for other real estate opportunities. Along with numerous apartment tenants, Atlas Gym and Fitness Center, LaDanse Workshop, and a daycare center were three of the original tenants. Calvary Chapel eventually took over space from Atlas. This space has been vacant after the chapel did not renew their lease a few years ago. Major construction began last year to create 14 two bedroom luxury apartments in the space. “These new apartments will be available for lease in October 2006,” Gollel said. A different kind of school During her 18 years as owner of LaDanse Workshop, Case grew her studio to include over 110 students. She, along with four other instructors, offered weekly lessons in tap, ballet, Pointe, modern and jazz dance. As she reflected upon her time as owner of LDW, Case said, “It was a valuable experience and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. I made so many friends and have so many great memories.” New life in an old building LDW has undergone many changes during Bertino’s almost 12 years of ownership. Studio space has been remodeled, waiting areas expanded and renovated and floors refinished. Up until two years ago, the gymnasium floor markings were still visible on the two main studio floors. Bertino has grown the dance studio by adding a variety of dance and music classes throughout the week. Enrollment has increased over 150 percent since she took ownership in 1995. She attributes her increased student enrollment to the diversity of 50 weekly classes, and her instructors. “All the instructors are college trained, mature adults,” said Bertino. Classes at LDW include ballet, jazz, tap, traditional Irish, modern, hip hop, all boys pop jazz and musical theater. The most dramatic change at LaDanse Workshop has occurred this summer. Bertino has renovated space within the building into a studio. “The space was the original stage for the school,” she explained. Bertino saw the potential for this space because of its hardwood floor but saw how the space needed work to make it a dance studio. Since June, Bertino with the help of family members, has added insulation, walls, sound proofing, barres for ballet, a sound system and a teachers lounge. “Joe spent long hours in the summer heat putting up the insulation and drywall and some of my teaching assistants helped to paint the walls,” Bertino said about the work. The new studio contains some remnants of the old school. Decorative moldings and stage drapery chains are some of the unique characteristics that Bertino kept during the remodel process. Decorative sound proofing objects now hang from the drapery chains and the moldings are freshly painted. The new studio space as well as the two current studios also have a nostalgic connection with some of the parents of current LDW students. (This writer is also an instructor at LDW and has happy memories performing with the freshman chorus on the stage at Trowbridge). Meghan Maier, 10, has been a student at LDW since she was three years old. Her dad, Mike Maier, was a Trowbridge student during the 1976-77 school year. “Everytime I take Meghan to dance and we enter the building, I tell her a different story about going to school at Trowbridge. I remember how the lunch room was on the top floor of the building,” Maier explained. He also agrees with Przybycien and Boughter, “I think one of the neatest parts was that we were the only class at the school,” said Maier. Karen Dorrance Mackey attended Trowbridge during the 1975-76 school year. Her daughter, Kayla, age 13, began dancing at LDW when she was seven. “I sometimes have deja vu when I come into the dance studio,” Mackey said. “I remember the cafeteria on the third floor and when we were finished with lunch we could go outside on the back hill or down in the auditorium or what we called ‘the pit’. Once a month we could roller skate in the pit during activity period and I remember crashing into the stage when we couldn’t stop skating,” Mackey said. “Kayla is interested in the fact that I went to school where she now takes dance lessons,” Mackey added. An engraved message over a doorway of the Trowbridge building reads, “Wisdom is to the soul what health is to the body.” This building has admitted many students through its doors. The Trowbridge building continues to be a Spencerport landmark as its purpose changes and its space is transformed. September 10, 2006 |
