Western New York Heritage

The Bird Avenue Playground c. 1910

This postcard image refers to the playground for School 52. The view is from Bird Avenue; Grant Street runs along the western edge of the playground at left. School 52 opened in 1895.

Location of the school as sketched on a 1902 map (image from Library of Congress collection). 

The corner of Bird and grant in 2005. School 52 was expanded in 1928 with a large addition, and then closed in 1980 as part of
the school desegregation program. According to Morton G. Weed's book on the Buffalo Schools, "most of the students and 
many of the teachers were transferred to the West Hertel Academy." The building was demolished and a U.S. Post Office constructed on the corner.

Note that the same business/residence visible at the upper edge of the postcard image remains today, as seen in the left center of the 2005 photo.