Elmira Heights Central School District

The Village of Elmira Heights is located north of the City of Elmira and south of the Village of Horseheads and was incorporated on May 1, 1896, as a thriving industrial center known originally as the "Industrial Association Grounds". A group of leading Elmira businessmen with capital stock of $100,000 purchased 17 parcels of land comprising 500 acres. The land was then divided into 2160 building lots, 271 additional lots came from the purchase of the old Fairgrounds, plus factory sites. Each lot was valued at $200 and ownership determined on October 24, 1893 by "the Great Land Lottery" held in Elmira at the Opera House. Rapid development followed with many factories in operation, Elmira Table Company, Elmira Knitting Mill, Call Manufacturing company, a boot and shoe Factory, Elmira Window Glass, and Belchers Cigar Factory to name a few. Eventually, such large employers followed within the Village as Eclipse Bicycle Company in 1895, Elmira Bridge Works, and in 1918 the maker of fire trucks, Ward LaFrance. During both World Wars our community made significant contributions to the war effort with high levels of employment and much needed materials. Along with the formation of a bustling Village, came the establishment of a school system in the 1890s. Neighborhood schools serving the East, West, and Central sections of the Village sent students to our high school which opened in 1914 on East 11th Street. A major change was approved by the citizens in 1953 as a centralized district evolved with portions of land in the Towns of Elmira, Horseheads, and Big Flats added to the existing Elmira Heights Union Free District. Our original high school, known as "Thomas A. Edison" since 1930 was replaced in 1953 on College Avenue and followed in 1969 by the opening of a new Dr. Nathan Cohen School serving grades K-8. Over the years the needs of our community have made it necessary to reconfigure building usage by grades to conform to enrollment. Our small neighborhood schools began to close, sold for other purposes, and our student populations centered in two sites, both renovated since their original opening. Many changes in our 110 year village history are readily apparent despite little change in our village size of approximately one square mile. Urban Renewal projects, begun in the 1960′s, brought our village housing upgrades, improved streets, eliminated railroad crossings, enhanced recreation areas, and a new village complex serving governmental functions. The once large employment base has been slowly reduced due to changes in business relocation and population shift. Our village and school system have over the years shown a strong "sense of identity". We take pride in having a strong police presence, rapid and dependable fire protection, and an outstanding Street Department. A look into our past can be observed at the original Village Hall opened in 1897 on East 14th Street. A dedicated, all-volunteer group known as the "Elmira Heights Historical Society" has maintained and upgraded this facility since 1980 where the past comes alive.