Institutions & Infrastructure | towns-and-villages

Institutions and Infrastructure

The Wellsburg Baptist Church was the only church society in the Chemung Valley when it was established in 1789. The Methodist Church began meeting in 1839, and the Christ Episcopal Church organized in 1869. In 1803, Caleb Baker began teaching at a small log schoolhouse near the Baptist Church. It burned in 1859, and a new two-story school was built. The post office was first established in Wellsburg in 1824. The Erie Railroad was extended through the village in 1849, bringing with it telegraph lines. The village had two telegraph offices; one at the Erie depot and one at Morris Young’s store.

Back

Wellsburg

Wellsburg school students, c. 1910 By 1890, there were 138 students being taught by three teachers at the schoolhouse in Wellsburg.
Revocatum, the Wellsburg High School yearbook, 1942 Wellsburg had its own high school from 1928 until 1950. The Village then contracted to send junior and senior high school students to Elmira schools. In 1957, Wellsburg joined the Elmira Consolidated School District.
Wellsburg High School Class of 1941
Commencement program for Wellsburg High School, June 23, 1941
First Baptist Church, Wellsburg, 1976 The original Baptist Church in Wellsburg was dedicated on July 12, 1812. The building was enlarged and remodeled in 1861. It burned down in 1965 and was rebuilt.
Clara B. Shaw’s autograph book from the Baptist Sunday School, 1884
Trolley and train lines through Wellsburg, 1912 The Elmira, Corning and Waverly interurban trolley line was built alongside the Erie Railroad tracks in 1909, and continued to transport passengers until 1931.
C.E. Coffey Hose Company No. 1 ribbon C.E. Coffey Hose Company was organized in 1897. The volunteer firefighting company was named after Charles E. Coffey because of his interest in and generosity toward the Village of Wellsburg.
Coffey Hose Company belt worn by Charles VanBuskirk
Badge worn by a member of the Coffey Hose Company of Wellsburg at a Firemen’s Association convention
Wellsburg Fire Department, 1939 The Wellsburg Fire Department has had several homes over the last 80 years. The firehouse built in 1939 was destroyed by fire in 1965. It was rebuilt on Front Street. In 2011, that building was heavily damage in the flooding caused by Tropical Storm Lee. The newest station opened on Main Street in 2017.
Assorted greeting cards received by Jack Nolan of Wellsburg throughout the 1920s

Institutions and Infrastructure

Wellsburg school students, c. 1910

By 1890, there were 138 students being taught by three teachers at the schoolhouse in Wellsburg.

Revocatum, the Wellsburg High School yearbook, 1942

Wellsburg had its own high school from 1928 until 1950. The Village then contracted to send junior and senior high school students to Elmira schools. In 1957, Wellsburg joined the Elmira Consolidated School District.

Wellsburg High School Class of 1941

Commencement program for Wellsburg High School, June 23, 1941

First Baptist Church, Wellsburg, 1976

The original Baptist Church in Wellsburg was dedicated on July 12, 1812. The building was enlarged and remodeled in 1861. It burned down in 1965 and was rebuilt.

Clara B. Shaw’s autograph book from the Baptist Sunday School, 1884

Trolley and train lines through Wellsburg, 1912

The Elmira, Corning and Waverly interurban trolley line was built alongside the Erie Railroad tracks in 1909, and continued to transport passengers until 1931.

C.E. Coffey Hose Company No. 1 ribbon

C.E. Coffey Hose Company was organized in 1897. The volunteer firefighting company was named after Charles E. Coffey because of his interest in and generosity toward the Village of Wellsburg.

Coffey Hose Company belt worn by Charles VanBuskirk

Badge worn by a member of the Coffey Hose Company of Wellsburg at a Firemen’s Association convention

Wellsburg Fire Department, 1939

Assorted greeting cards received by Jack Nolan of Wellsburg throughout the 1920s