STEPPING INTO THE PAST
Troy summer school students take walking tour of historic downtown buildings
TROY >> Third-graders in the Troy City School District’s Elementary Summer Academy program got out of the classroom Monday to get a closer look into the city’s past and present.
About two-dozen students spent the steamy morning on a walking tour of the city’s downtown, specifically checking out a few of the wealth of iconic buildings that keep the city’s history alive. Starting out at the historic Approach that leads down from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute campus to 6th Avenue, students stopped at the former headquarters of The Record, as well as the Frear Building, the U.S. Post Office, the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, the Rensselaer County Courthouse, the Troy Public Library and the Rice Building.
The school district offers the Elementary Summer Academy for students in pre-kindergarten through grade 5 in need of extra help with reading and math. The 3 1/2-hour daily program is being hosted this year at School 14 and continues through Friday, with breakfast, lunch and transportation provided
for each student. Susan Himes, the teacher who led the walking tour, shared a bit about the history of each building, augmented by research done by the students themselves prior to the tour. They also talked about the current uses of each building and how those have changed over the years.
As she shared interesting facts about each of the stops on the tour, Himes said she felt it was important for the young students to understand the city’s place in history, especially as it celebrates the 200th anniversary of becoming a city. She also pointed out the importance of preserving that history for future generations to understand their heritage.
“I think it’s just so important that children know the rich cultural history of the city,” she said. “We could spend a whole day down here.”
While the group only went inside a few of the buildings, Himes pointed out all of them are open to
the public in some way for those who want to learn more.
“Anything you see on this tour, if you like it, you can come back,” she told the students.
“This is what the trip is all about: getting to know your city.”