Derby History Quiz

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Many of our regulars correctly identified Abraham Lincoln's likeness, and some even suggested that it appears on the wall of Lincoln School. Of course that is an incorrect answer - and for multiple reasons! To start with, the quiz asked for its current location. The correct answer is the Christian Community Church which bought the old Lincoln School on the corner of Smith and Ninth Streets in a rather run down state and restored it. Besides serving as a church, it also houses a day care program.

Now some even wrote to note that the name Lincoln School appears twice in Derby history. The building where you can find the monument above was built in 1923 and served as a neighborhood grammar school for about 60 years. After the new high school was built in 1969, the old high school was renovated and served as the Middle School for several years before the upper grades were moved to the new high school. At that point, the old high school-middle school was renamed Lincoln School and used as a grammar school! The old Lincoln School was used as space for the board of education and was also later used by TEAM, Inc. and for adult education before being abandoned and falling into total disrepair.  So an answer of Lincoln School alone was incorrect for multiple reasons!

Correct answers were received from: Henry Wajdowicz, C.F.Douglass, Rick Dunne, Frank Lazowski, Sr., Ann Searles, Markanthony Izzo, Mary Lou Boroski, Amy Cobaugh, Walt Mayhew (Pastor at the Church!), Ken Dupke, Jim Bartlett, Mayor Marc Garofalo, and Catherine Kelleher.

We will also give "partial credit" to those who identified the "old" Lincoln School:

Rosalyn Franco, Robert Loftus, David Lenart, Frank (class of '47 at Lincoln School!), Mark Bradshaw, and Normand Audet.

To see our other earlier quizzes and learn more about Derby's unique history, click here.