One of Erie County’s oldest schools has new life thanks to nearly $90,000 from the county.
While no longer used for classes, the Limerick one-room schoolhouse in Akron is among the oldest surviving schools in Western New York. The capital grant funds have gone to help provide septic services and hot water.
The grant helps keep the space open for student field trips and other visitors, Friends of Limerick Director Wynne Klingel said.
“If I wanted to play in it as a little girl, I'm sure other kids would love to enjoy and come spend the day here," she said. "We hope that the building will serve as a gathering place for small groups organizations, as well as destination tours to bring tour heritage tourism to the area.”
Limerick is among the oldest one-room schoolhouses still standing in the area. Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz adds that historic preservation isn’t just maintaining the building, but also the experiences of former students.
“There were students who attended this school, this one room school, in the 1940s who are still here today, and can talk about what it was like," he said. "And I think that's important, that we honor the past, we remember the past but understand that our past sometimes isn't that far off, and it can have an impact on our community.”
Other updates include a new roof, sidewalk and landscaping. Limerick will need around $40,000 more to finish the work, like new windows and a parking lot, installing a wheelchair ramp and adding insulation, Klingel added.
