First grade classroom at Florence Elementary School
Description
This 6 1/2" x 4 1/2" black and white photograph shows the interior of a classroom filled with desks and chairs made of wood and wrought iron. Each desk has an open book on it. The room has a hardwood floor and a high ceiling. The walls are lined with chalkboards covered in writing. There is a table with six chairs at the front of the room. Paper cut-outs of animals line the front wall of the classroom, below the blackboard, and several photographs of birds rest on the chalk rail. A bookcase stands along the side wall of the room, and an American flag extends from a flag holder on this wall.
Omaha Public School Archive Collection / Educational Research Library
Local Accession/Call Number
Archive Files: Florence School File
Historical Notes
The "old" Florence School, located at 8516 N. 31st Street, was erected in 1890 by the village of Florence. The eight-room brick building was attended by almost 100 students through eighth grade. The school site looked east across the Missouri River and the bluffs. A unique feature of the building was a cupola that housed a large bell. In 1917, Florence was annexed by the city of Omaha, and the school became part of the Omaha Public Schools family. In 1962, the old building was retired, and in the fall of 1963, students (and the Florence Bell) moved into the "new" Florence School at North 36th and King Streets.
