In the Beginning: Pioneers of Early Levittown

When my family moved to 10 Hyacinth Road from Queens in late 1954, Levittown was less than 10 years old. That was more than a half century ago. 

Pictures of Levittown from the early days show mostly unaltered houses, at least externally. Many had finished attics in order to provide proper bedrooms for growing families. The trees and shrubs were still small and dormers and garages were rare.

Several of my friends were among the first citizens of our town, some from the first wave of residents in late 1947. They tell stories of how they seemed to have been shifted from elementary school to elementary school practically every year. For a while, temporary classrooms were in quonset huts. Houses were being built at a dizzying rate, and schools had to be added to accommodate the multitudes of newly arrived young children.

By the time the Barnings arrived, there was stability. Many of the early arrivals of my age found sanctuary at Division Avenue School during junior high. Our group was in the first class when Division became a high school at the start of the 1954-55 academic year. Some of our junior high friends eventually transferred to the original high school, Levittown Memorial. Most of those who switched lived closer to Memorial.

Being the first class in a new high school offered us the opportunity to be, in effect, seniors for four years. We created a series of firsts, including the yearbook, while the boys played on the initial varsity teams to wear the blue and gray. Early Levittowners were pioneers. There are many stories to tell and I look forward to sharing some memories with you.

For more from Frank Barning visit his blog, "Early Levittown and Beyond": http://theworldaccordingtofrankbarning.blogspot.com/