A glimpse of what Levittown was like in the very beginning; no stores, and no schools, just the sound of thousands of hammers

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1951-52 Mr. Thaler's 4th grade class Northside School class

Students were identified by Gary DeCastillia, a 1960 Division Avenue High School graduate

(rows go up and down, not side to side):

First Row - Dammie Zimmekma, Carolann Ritzer, Bonnie Lee

Second Row - Gary DeCastillia, Midge Rist, Diane White, Patricia Walsh, Louise Nicolosi

Third Row - Georgeann Post, Diane Brown, Pamela Gaines, Joyce Coleman, Nancy Stitt

Fourth Row - Dorothy Kuppler, Dave Cahn, Tommy Archibald, Damon Solomon

Standing - David Spencer, William Brown, Gregory Snaric, Mr. Thaler

Those who graduated in 1960 from Division were: Gary DeCastillia, Louise Nicolosi, Diane Brown (deceased), Dorothy Kuppler, Damon Solomon and Diane White.

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By DAVE CAHN

My family moved to Levittown on the first day it opened, October 1, 1947, which at that time was called Island Trees. The next month, my parents founded the Island Trees Eagle (in which they suggested the community be renamed "Levittown"), later the Levittown Eagle.

We moved to Wantagh at the end of April 1952, but I finished the year at Northside.

I posted the 1951-52 fourth-grade class picture to the Levittown Memorial High School Facebook group, in case some of the kids went there, rather than to DAHS. In my post there, I said, "When I moved to 36 Pinetree Lane, there were only a few blocks of houses built by Levitt and Sons (the tree section), no stores, and no schools, just the sound of thousands of hammers building the nearby flower section.

My parents sent me to a private kindergarten for 1947-48. The next year, I went to the newly erected Wisdom Lane quonset hut with Molly Alter as my first-grade teacher.

Nearly every year thereafter, sometimes twice a year, I moved to each new school (other than Abbey Lane) as it was built: Gardiners Avenue, Division Avenue (Elementary School), Summit Lane, and Northside."

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Dave Cahn lives in Upper Marlboro, Maryland

1951-52 Northside School, Mrs. McKenna's third-grade class

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By DARIA MARUSEVICH '61

Lots of familiar eight or nine year old faces. This was Mrs. McKenna's class at Northside. This was the first class in Northside for me and a whole group of kids in the picture. Before that we were in Wisdom Lane (quonset hut) for 1st grade and Abbey Lane for 2nd grade. Also it was the first school we were able to walk to; oh the independence!

This is the best I can do with names. This was a time when the girls were still playing paper dolls and the boys were exploring in the "Old Motor Parkway" and playing football in the street. I can remember it was the first time I heard of "pizza pie", Flash Gordon was on TV, and we had until the street lights went on to play outside - then it was inside or else. I remember these were wonderful times.

I didn't like the teacher, she just didn't like me at all and in the end it turned into quite the issue and she was dismissed, enough said.

In the class picture:

Going from front to back along the left side by the wall:
1st row: x, Mollie Feit
2nd row: Gloria x, Dawn Robie
3rd row: x, x
4th row: x, Beth Kramer
5th row: x, Bob Bonacci

Right side of picture going from front to back:
1st row: x, Daria Marusevich
2nd row: Corinne Norgren, Daryl Dittko
3rd row: x, x
4th row: x, Jimmy Judson
5th row: Valerie Mascara, x
6th row: x, x

Along back wall standing left to right:
x, x Cherry, Corky Cybriwsky, Jay Miner, Doug x
_________________________

Caption assistance provided by Wally Linder '61. Obviously, more help is needed to fill in the blanks.

1951-52 Northside School; Mr. Jack Lenz’ 4th grade class

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Front: Sandy Adams

First row: x, Carol Klass, Bob Bond

Others: Bobby O'Brian, MaryAnn Scala, Linda Kenley, Carole Arnesen, Joe Guidice, George Fox, Betty Barger, David Ruder, Marcia Feinberg, Carol Howell, John Smiros, Billy Jack, Bob Smith, Margaret O'Neil, Billy Goldman, Danny LaPadula.

A HISTORY LESSON

In the earliest years of Levittown, the school population exploded and there were not enough classrooms while at the same time there was a shortage of teachers. Numerous substitute teacher were used to fill the void. This photo is from the 1951-52 school year.

According to Lynne Matarrese in "The History of Levittown, New York", "By the fall of 1951, 1,200 kindergarteners were still on triple session and grades one through seven were on double session. In 1951, Northside School was erected and Summit Lane quickly followed, opening in 1952. The first high school, Levittown Memorial, was built on Abbey Lane and opened in 1953."

As a result, the children in this photo were in a sparkling new building. Many had changed schools two or three times before Northside was opened. Some graduated from Division Avenue High School in 1960. They finally had stability and after elementary school, that quality continued because they attended Division Avenue for both junior high and high school if their families remained in Levittown. Many families moved away.

Amazingly, this photo is almost 60-years old. Therefore, so is Northside School.
_____________________________________________

Thank you to Sandy Adams for sharing this photo from her collection of memories.

1952 Northside School: Mrs. Hans' first grade class

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First row: x, Michelle Fromm

Second row: Charles Drakos, x, Linda Bishop, x

Third row: x, x, x, x

Fourth row: Tom Filiberto, Steve McNally, x, x

Fifth row: Michael Sullivan: x, Barbara Bordini, x

Standing: Jerry Gippetti, x, Ron Area, Dennis Ditto, Joe Imparato, Dick Marcella

Tom Filiberto from the class of 1963 has provided our blog with his first through sixth grade class photos from Northside School. Also, he has posted them on Facebook. As you can see, many of the students are not identified. Filiberto consulted with some classmates from back then and although a few names were added, many blanks remain. We are uncertain if the teacher in this photo is Mrs. Hans or Mrs. Hands.

Levittown was a somewhat transient community because many houses were rentals and families, for various reasons, would move away. So there was a coming and going of students, which is probably why so many youngsters in this photo are unidentified. The same will be true of other class photos from Filiberto's collection.

Any help with names would be appreciated.

This picture, provided by John Tanner '60, is a mystery because many students have not been identified

click on photo to enlarge

1952 Northside School, Mr. X fourth grade class

Front row: x, Jay Citrin, x, x

Second row: Phyllis Hirsch, Larry Bory, Mike LaPaglia, x

Third row: x, x, x, x

Fourth row: x, Tom Young, x, Margie Merle

Back row: Arnie Mark, John Tanner, x, x

Teacher: x

Above is another classic early Levittown class photo. But there is a problem. Do you see all those blanks in the caption? As hard as we've tried by contacting people who might remember, many of the students remain unidentified. The teacher is also a mystery.

The picture was provided by John Tanner, class of 1960, who only remembers that he and Arnie Mark are in the back row because they tended to disrupt the class.

If you can identify any of these bright looking youngsters, drop a note to fbarning@yahoo.com

Northside School, 1954: Mr. Bob Torrance's sixth grade class

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Among those in this 57-year old photo are Sandy Adams, Cliff Fromm, Billie Jean Divone, Barbara Bond, Ann Hoffman, Geoff Eisenbarth, Steve Tuck, Linda Kenley, Mary Ann McNally, Billy Goldman, Betty Barger, Connie Drakos, Carol Klass, Joe Guidice, Noel Heinisch and Jane Kranzler.

Also in the class, but now deceased were Louie Lopez , Steven Lilienthal, Carole Arnesen, Pat Moore and Ray Wenz. The teacher was Mr. Bob Torrance. Approximately 20 of these kids graduated from Division Avenue High School in 1960.

Upon seeing this vintage photo of his sixth grade class, Cliff Fromm commented, "Part of it seems like it was only a week or so ago yet in another lifetime. What is disturbing is notation of those who are deceased. Five in the class are no longer with us. I fondly remember these people like it was yesterday. Life is too short.” Sorry to say, it could be more than five because our records are incomplete.

If you are able to identify anyone not listed, send information to fbarning@cox.net.

Photo provided by Sandy Adams