Think & Drink: Saving Central Square with Jerry Adelmann

In the 1970s, Lockport’s historic downtown faced an uncertain future. The old Central School, built in 1896 and long the city’s educational anchor, was threatened with sale and demolition. A grassroots coalition of citizens and city leaders, including a young Jerry Adelmann, fought back. Their landmark victory saved the building, transforming it into Central Square, today home to Lockport’s city offices and a vital gathering space for community events.

The fight for Central Square ignited Lockport’s modern preservation movement and reshaped the city’s identity. Now, fifty years after downtown Lockport was added to the National Register of Historic Places, we celebrate this pivotal moment in Lockport's history.