Historical Views of the Rockaways
The building of the school had early problems with water seeping into the basement area. Rumor had it that the navy was going to take it over for a submarine school. However, the Board of Education lined the walls of the basement similarly to that of a swimming pool, in reverse, to keep the water out of the basement.
Dozens of hotels and summer rental buildings once saturated this part of Far Rockaway, once known as Edgemere Crest when first developed in 1911.