Massive Fire Ravages West Side School

By Leader Staff 

The historic West Side School in Laurel Hollow was hit by a massive night fire on Tuesday, March 10th, that destroyed the school's Library and Learning Center, and left water and smoke damage in much of the rest of the school.

Over 300 West Side students have now been displaced - and are temporarily transferred over to the Cold Spring Harbor School District's other schools: the Lloyd Harbor Elementary School; the Goose Hill Primary School; and the Cold Spring Harbor Junior/Senior High School.

The West Side School dates from 1790 - and then US President George Washington stopped by the school - which was under construction - during his 1790 tour of Long Island. 

The Oyster Bay Fire Department and Atlantic Steamer Fire Company responded to an emergency fire alarm at 4:42AM.  And several other fire departments responded too.

The fire was already shooting out the windows and roof of the library wing when the fire departments responded.

Several neighboring departments responded, as did the Nassau County Fire Marshal and the Nassau County Office of Emergency Management who assisted at the scene.

The West Side School sustained serious damage as a result of the fire - including the destruction of the Library and Learning Center.

"The situation was managed through the coordinated efforts of all responding agencies working together," stated the Oyster Bay Fire Department. "The Oyster Bay Fire Department would like to thank all mutual aid departments and county agencies for their prompt response and continued cooperation."

"I am pleased to share that progress on restoring West Side School continues to move forward each day," stated Cold Spring Harbor Superintendent Joseph Monastero. "New ceiling tiles and new LED lighting were installed today, with additional installations scheduled throughout the weekend and into next week. In several areas of the building, sections of flooring will also receive new tiles that will look beautiful and feature a patriotic design."

In 1790, President George Washington was on a tour of Long Island - traveling from Huntington, where he had enjoyed a hearty lunch at Platt’s Tavern, to the Squire House in Oyster Bay, when he saw the new West Side School under construction.

As they came near to the school, Washington and his party gave a hearty cheer for the men building the West Side School; stopped to assist the men in raising one of the roof rafters; and then gave the workers a silver dollar for refreshments.

Students from the West Side School have been assigned to the Cold Spring Harbor School District's other schools, with Grade 2 assigned to the Goose Hill School; Grades 3, 4 and 5 assigned to the Lloyd Harbor School; and Grade 6 assigned to the Jr/Sr High School.

The Cold Spring Harbor School District includes parts of both Nassau County and Suffolk County, including the communities of Lloyd Harbor, Laurel Hollow and Cold Spring Harbor.

The school repairs are progressing quickly, and the students should be back in their West Side classrooms within a few weeks, according to multiple sources.

"I remain optimistic and truly believe we will be back in our West Side School building in weeks, not months," added Superintendent Monastero.