Allentown is a hamlet in the northwest corner of Alma, NY (a town of fewer than 800 located in Allegany County on the state border with Pennsylvania). Allentown is near NY 417, also known as the Bolivar-Allentown Road. In the 19th century, Allentown was an oil boom town and a station on the Eldred-Bolivar-Wellsville Main Line of the Bradford, Eldred & Cuba Railroad, which operated from 1881 to 1893.
The first school in Allentown is said to have been a log cabin. It was replaced by a framed schoolhouse, which was sold to the Methodist Church and used by WCTU. The framed schoolhouse was sold to Mildred Craven to be used as "Millie's Diner" before being used as antique storage into the 21st century.
In 1883, a larger school building was built to serve Allentown's students. It was located near the Bradford, Eldred & Cuba Railroad depot. It was used until 1912. A brick schoolhouse was built in 1903, used in conjunction with the 1883 building for ten years. The brick schoolhouse was used exclusively after 1912. It was expanded in 1933 with a western addition. It is still standing at the corner of NY 417 and Phillips Hill Road, but was closed as a school in 1980.
Students living in Allentown today attend Scio Central School.
