Chapter 7
SCHOOLS
In the center of the town was located the two-story stone school house. From an old school record that came into my possession a few years ago, is the following item: "At a School meeting held at the house of Joseph Munn, Friday, March 13th, 1812, Capt. John Baldwin was appointed Moderator and E.D. Ward, Clerk. It was resolved that the Trustees be instructed to secure a deed from Israel Crane for a site on which to erect a schoolhouse, containing twenty-five hundredths of an acre, bounded on the northeast by the Turnpike Road, on the south by the Old Road and on the west by Pumenas Dodd's garden fence. The Trustees were Israel Crane, Matthias Smith, Joseph Munn, Eleazer Crane, Oliver Crane, David Riker and Justice Baldwin." The school building stood about twelve feet in front of the present church building, and at the foot of the Green was a creditable liberty pole with gilded ball and liberty cap on top. The schoolhouse was two stories, twenty-two feet by forty-four feet, built on red sandstone, with entrance at the south gable end. The upper story was reached by stairway from the entrance hall and was arranged with two rows of permanent seats, painted green, with platform and reading desk at the north end, and was used for religious service, the pastor from the Bloomfield church holding service periodically Sunday afternoons. The service was sometimes conducted by a layman. Mr. Israel Crane, who had undertaken to study for the ministry but was compelled to give it up on account of ill health, sometimes led the meetings in this upper room, and I well remember, as a boy, his striking face, his slightly stooping form and his peculiar accent as he read for us the long sermon of some good old preacher. | |
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