This article can also be found in the ‘You Know You Are From New Berlin If...’group in Facebook.  The only reason for duplicating it here is to include both pictures in higher resolution.

This is the first entry in a new discussion group on FaceBook called “You Know You’re From New Berlin, NY, If...”.  If you lived in NB or otherwise have memories of events, places or people there, please post in that group for others to enjoy.

I attended the New Berlin Central School from 1951 to 1964.  So I must have been about 7 or 8 in the early 50s when my Dad used to take me up into the little lookout tower at the top of the school where he volunteered to watch for airplanes as part of the ’Civil Defense’ effort after World War II.  I don’t remember ever seeing any airplanes from there, but we were ready to report it if one should ever come our way. 

The little room at the top of the school might have been 12 feet or so square.  It had windows on all 4 sides, a few chairs, a small table and a telephone.  I think most of the windows would open.  There was a small set of stairs on one side so we could go out through a window to get a better look or enjoy the nice weather outside.  There was a railing around the whole area to keep people from falling off.  There was a fairly large trap door in part of the floor which was the entrance to the room.

It was also an interesting exercise to get up into the tower.  First, we had to get into the school.  I don’t remember if Dad had a key or someone met us there.  Then we proceeded to the 3rd floor of the building and the projection booth above the gymnasium (where I would spend many, many hours during my later years in school working with the audio and video equipment).  A door at the right side of the booth led to a very narrow hallway, then to some more doors and paths (it seems like one of them actually went through a large air duct), then to an open area within the tower area of the building.  A long flight of stairs took us further up to the top.  Part way up was the back side of the school clock.  While this might seem like a foot or two in diameter from the street, it was actually closer to five or six feet in diameter.  A few more stairs up from there and we could push open the trap door and reach the top, ready for service.

Of course from that height, you could see all the buildings and houses in New Berlin.  I could pick out many of them (how different they looked from that angle).  I remember seeing that the name NEW BERLIN was painted on top of the ‘Camp Block’ building (now Redner’s deli on the corner of South Main and Genesee Streets) and wondering if every town had such a painted designation and did airplanes really use these for navigation?

Tom DeForest 08-10-11

A picture of the school circa 1957.

A closeup of the tower portion of the building.

(Sorry it is so grainy)

© Copyright 2011-2022 by Thomas N DeForest.  All rights reserved -- Updated on May 22, 2022 at 10:41:23 AM