Lincoln School demolition: How to get keepsake bricks from former Middletown school

Once the demolition is complete, single-family homes may be built on the 5.5-acre site, though no formal plans have been finalized.

The school opened in 1923 at 2402 Central Ave. and was the oldest still-standing school building in Middletown, according to the district and city records.

It was important to demolish the older buildings because they had created a “level of blight” in the neighborhood, said Susan Cohen, assistant city manager.

Lincoln closed in 1980 when students were moved up Central Avenue to Roosevelt Elementary School, which closed in 2008 and has been demolished. The Roosevelt property is green space.