As a boy growing up I didn’t realize how Levittown, PA took its shape in Bucks County. Growing up in Goldenridge, one of the first things I learned (besides NO playing in the streets) was my address, it was then I knew I was surrounded by a bunch of “G” lettered streets as I walked to school (which was Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary. While driving around with my parents I noticed that Emerson wasn’t the only elementary school in town, Thomas Jefferson, James Buchanan and Clara Barton (just to name a few). While these names stuck out with me since I was learning about them in my social studies class (or history) but John Fitch elementary did not sound familiar. For years I assumed he was a predominate, influential person of Levittown, little did I know he was a first for American steam ship building, as well as a first for Levittown.
John Fitch not only was the first to build a steam power boat, but what amazes me is that he did it in Bucks County as well. With plans in hand he built a model of his boat in a lake that was located in Warminister, PA (near York and Street Roads). Being built and briefly testing his invention in Warminister before making the trip down to the Delaware River for a bigger test of his steam boat. While his test were successful, his investors were nervous about the cost of the steam engine boats and slowly they began to back out and leaving Fitch alone and drowning in debt from his historic invention.
Fast forward 150 years or so to 1950’s when plans to build affordable housing in the Lower Bucks area of PA. After WWII the need for housing was great for returning GI, with various government programs helping making the “American Dream” easier and more possible. Once built Levittown had a numerous amount of first (house built, house sold, business…etc), and the first school being that of the John Fitch Elementary in the Greenbrook section of Levittown. I was unable to find out why this was the first, or why his name is associated with this school. Having situated the elementary schools so that no child (of elementary school age) would have to cross a “major road” (at the time) to attend school and since the Stonybrook sections was the first to be completed one can assume that this would only be the proper area to have the first school to open.
With plans and a cornerstone laid in 1952, Fitch elementary was finished and ready to welcome its new students. For nearly 60 years this school has endured the test of time, as well as many students getting their education at this historic first. While school records are private and confidential, I was not able to find who the first child to enroll at this school was. Fitch not only led the way in the steam boat industry, this school led the way and set the example for others in Levittown. I often wonder what happen to my elementary classmates from Ralph Waldo Emerson when I was a child.
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