Our Vision Statement
Williamsport Elementary Magnet School for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics will inspire all children to become life long learners.
Our Mission Statement
Students, staff, parents, and community will work as a collaborative team to provide a safe and supportive environment where people, questions, and ideas are valued and accepted.
All students will be given diverse, challenging, and engaging opportunities for success in a global society.
Our School History
In the primitive days in this locality, not much attention was paid to education. Some families had private tutors. From tradition, we learn that the first school was in the rear of the Market house, in 1831, another in the building which was located on the corner of Salisbury and Conococheague streets, and burned in 1839. Teacher’s names of the foregoing are forgotten. This corner was known as the "Burnt Corner" until 1880.
The next school was taught by Miss Helen A. Boultt, in the room above the banking room, in the bank, adjoining the Market house, in the years, 1831-1834, until the same room was occupied by Friendship Lodge, No. 84, A. F. & A. M. From that time all records relating to schools have been lost.
In 1840, Professor McCarthy, a graduate of Oxford College, England, engaged to teach a school in the building where the C. & P. Telephone Exchange is now located and continued for quite some time. He was a brilliant scholar and a very able instructor. Quite a few who received instruction from him were very bright lights in the vocations which they pursued. For instance, the Rev. Matthew Van Lear, a very eminent clergyman, in the Presbytery, and Hon. John Van Lear Findlay, who served many years, with distinction, in the House of Representatives.
Mr. Wyant, following the professor, taught in the building now occupied by D. K. Cushwa, Jr. Mr. J. F. A. Remley, taught in the same building which Prof. McCarthy used until 1867. Mr. George Wolf, in 1867, taught in a building where E. E. Reichter’s Store is located. Miss Ella Hollman taught in that same year in the building now occupied by Mr. Samuel Davis. Mr. James Allen taught in the Good Templars’ Hall, where the Overall Factory is located, 1864-1866. Mr. E. H. Friend taught for a number of years in the building located in the rear f the residence of Mr. J. H. Gruber. Mr. McClain, previous to the Civil War, taught in the basement under the Town Hall and a Mr. Shafer, taught in the building now owned by Russell Zimmerman, on South Vermont Street.
The Market House, having been razed, was the first public school building erected upon the site in 1867, with Mr. Eli Stake, laying the corner stone. The scholastic year began September 1st and ended following April15. It was divided into three terms of 10 weeks each. The hours the schools were required to be kept open were six. They were divided in two sessions: the morning session from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and the afternoon session from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Each session had a ten minute intermission. Pupils were under the jurisdiction of their teacher from the time they left home until their return and any misdemeanor committed by them in going to and from school received punishment from the teacher.
Anyone wishing to teach was required to take, from time to time, an examination, to show that they were qualified for the position. They were not required to attend a summer school or some place set apart for instruction.
Our first school building was not entirely completed, but was indeed occupied on September 1st. It consisted of four rooms with unplastered walls.
Mr. J. F. A. Remsley was the teacher of the Grammar School, at a salary of $100 per term of ten weeks. Mr. E. H Friend, teacher of the intermediate department worked at a salary of $90 per term and Miss Ella Hollman and Miss Maggie Clark (teachers of the lower classes) worked for a salary of $75 per term.
Old Aunt Hennie Harrison was the janitress at the salary of $2.50 for each room per term. The sum paid her was partly raised by the contributions from scholars and the deficiency was paid by the teacher of his or her department.
The equipment of the rooms consisted of desks placed against the walls and benches, without backs or any means of support. These were the seat for the pupils attending school.
The following year, the rooms were plastered and certain portions of the plastering were coated with a liquid slate. This became the furnishings for the first blackboard surfaces.
A Mr. Brown followed Mr. Remley. The Rev. A. G. Harley, of Baltimore, Md. was next. He moved his family here and located in the log house, in the alley that is now the property of Mr. Albert Lindsay. The assistants remained the same with the exception of Miss Ella Clark, who was made an assistant in Mr. Harley’s room. Mr. Haley remained several years and returned to Baltimore. Mr. Charles Harley, a prominent attorney in Baltimore, is his son. Mr. D. O. Witmer was the next in rotation, followed by Isaac Beard, F. L. King, A. A. Doub (now judge), Joseph F. Kimler and others. Mr. George Williamson, a veteran of the Mexican War, graduate of Yale College, hailing from Alabama, was added to the assistants during Mr. Witmer’s administration.
Owing to an influx of pupils, it was that the school building (built in 1867 on East Salisbury Street) was inadequate for the accommodation for that influx. Therefore, a building was built on the site of the old Shoop and Lefever Lumber Yard, on East Church Street, in 1897. Shortly thereafter an addition was built to it owning to the rapid increase in the number of pupils. It burned January 9, 1923.
The current location of Williamsport Elementary was occupied by students in 1959, when teachers and students packed up their materials and walked across the park from the Church Street location to the current building. The building started renovations in 2001 to include a new Cafeteria/Gym wing, Kindergarten wing and upgrades to the courtyard area.
The next school was taught by Miss Helen A. Boultt, in the room above the banking room, in the bank, adjoining the Market house, in the years, 1831-1834, until the same room was occupied by Friendship Lodge, No. 84, A. F. & A. M. From that time all records relating to schools have been lost.
In 1840, Professor McCarthy, a graduate of Oxford College, England, engaged to teach a school in the building where the C. & P. Telephone Exchange is now located and continued for quite some time. He was a brilliant scholar and a very able instructor. Quite a few who received instruction from him were very bright lights in the vocations which they pursued. For instance, the Rev. Matthew Van Lear, a very eminent clergyman, in the Presbytery, and Hon. John Van Lear Findlay, who served many years, with distinction, in the House of Representatives.
Mr. Wyant, following the professor, taught in the building now occupied by D. K. Cushwa, Jr. Mr. J. F. A. Remley, taught in the same building which Prof. McCarthy used until 1867. Mr. George Wolf, in 1867, taught in a building where E. E. Reichter’s Store is located. Miss Ella Hollman taught in that same year in the building now occupied by Mr. Samuel Davis. Mr. James Allen taught in the Good Templars’ Hall, where the Overall Factory is located, 1864-1866. Mr. E. H. Friend taught for a number of years in the building located in the rear f the residence of Mr. J. H. Gruber. Mr. McClain, previous to the Civil War, taught in the basement under the Town Hall and a Mr. Shafer, taught in the building now owned by Russell Zimmerman, on South Vermont Street.
The Market House, having been razed, was the first public school building erected upon the site in 1867, with Mr. Eli Stake, laying the corner stone. The scholastic year began September 1st and ended following April15. It was divided into three terms of 10 weeks each. The hours the schools were required to be kept open were six. They were divided in two sessions: the morning session from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and the afternoon session from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Each session had a ten minute intermission. Pupils were under the jurisdiction of their teacher from the time they left home until their return and any misdemeanor committed by them in going to and from school received punishment from the teacher.
Anyone wishing to teach was required to take, from time to time, an examination, to show that they were qualified for the position. They were not required to attend a summer school or some place set apart for instruction.
Our first school building was not entirely completed, but was indeed occupied on September 1st. It consisted of four rooms with unplastered walls.
Mr. J. F. A. Remsley was the teacher of the Grammar School, at a salary of $100 per term of ten weeks. Mr. E. H Friend, teacher of the intermediate department worked at a salary of $90 per term and Miss Ella Hollman and Miss Maggie Clark (teachers of the lower classes) worked for a salary of $75 per term.
Old Aunt Hennie Harrison was the janitress at the salary of $2.50 for each room per term. The sum paid her was partly raised by the contributions from scholars and the deficiency was paid by the teacher of his or her department.
The equipment of the rooms consisted of desks placed against the walls and benches, without backs or any means of support. These were the seat for the pupils attending school.
The following year, the rooms were plastered and certain portions of the plastering were coated with a liquid slate. This became the furnishings for the first blackboard surfaces.
A Mr. Brown followed Mr. Remley. The Rev. A. G. Harley, of Baltimore, Md. was next. He moved his family here and located in the log house, in the alley that is now the property of Mr. Albert Lindsay. The assistants remained the same with the exception of Miss Ella Clark, who was made an assistant in Mr. Harley’s room. Mr. Haley remained several years and returned to Baltimore. Mr. Charles Harley, a prominent attorney in Baltimore, is his son. Mr. D. O. Witmer was the next in rotation, followed by Isaac Beard, F. L. King, A. A. Doub (now judge), Joseph F. Kimler and others. Mr. George Williamson, a veteran of the Mexican War, graduate of Yale College, hailing from Alabama, was added to the assistants during Mr. Witmer’s administration.
Owing to an influx of pupils, it was that the school building (built in 1867 on East Salisbury Street) was inadequate for the accommodation for that influx. Therefore, a building was built on the site of the old Shoop and Lefever Lumber Yard, on East Church Street, in 1897. Shortly thereafter an addition was built to it owning to the rapid increase in the number of pupils. It burned January 9, 1923.
The current location of Williamsport Elementary was occupied by students in 1959, when teachers and students packed up their materials and walked across the park from the Church Street location to the current building. The building started renovations in 2001 to include a new Cafeteria/Gym wing, Kindergarten wing and upgrades to the courtyard area.