Figure 1. View of Greek Revival School House, Washington District, Hartford, Connecticut (Henry Barnard, architect)
The Greek Revival architecture of the American one-room school is a symbolic reflection of our national democratic ideals. More than one hundred and fifty years ago reformers and educators began to claim that the schoolhouse was fundamental to the education of our nation’s young. One of the most prominent school reformers of the nineteenth-century, Henry Bernard, stated that “Every schoolhouse should be a temple, consecrated in prayer to the physical, intellectual, and moral culture of every child in the community and be associated in every heart with the earliest and strongest impression of truth, justice, patriotism and religion.” By the 1820’s, our nation’s emerging prominence as a democratic republic coupled with the beginning of the Industrial Revolution helped to create the conditions which led to the common school movement. In the three decades before the Civil War, Americans looked to Ancient Greece as their inspiration. [Read More]
We are compiling a list of one-room schools in Massachusetts (which included Maine prior to 1820), by adding photos and/or any other relevant information. We began through outreach to both Essex and Middlesex counties but have since expanded our search statewide. Help add to the list of one-room schools by sharing your knowledge. If you know of the existence of any of these one-room schools, please let us know. Feel free to use the list of questions to the right as a guide.
I went to the Juniper Point one room school house in 1934. First three grades in one room with one teacher. Miss Cox
It was located in Salem Willows, Salem, Massachusetts.
The best education I ever had.
The school house was torn down and a house occupies the place now. Very sad. I’ve tried in vain to get pictures of the place.
Bob Folsom
Mr. Folsom,
Juniper School was razed in 1964. The lot is empty and currently used as public parking. If you were to contact Mrs. Pat Morency at patmorency@yahoo.com, she may be of some help with your research.
Sincerely,
PJ Griffin
We have a one room schoolhouse that we are trying to restore in Shirley, Middlesex County. Two other schoolhouses are private homes. Send me your survey form.
We live in what we believe to be the last one room school house in Greenfield Ma. It is located on Canada Hill. We have lovingly renovated it and are now relocating to Arizona and are hoping to find someone who will cherish it as much as we have.
This site has picture and story on the last one room schoolhouse in Hadley MA in case you don’t already have it on your list. More information and 30 page spiral bound 8 1/2 x 11 “The Hockanum Schoolhouse” by Mary Thayer has many photographs, text, and timeline. If you want the source for this let me know and I’ll have Mary contact you.
Charlie Johnson – I attended the school in the early 30’s and my Grandfather and Grandmother both attended and later taught there.
Forgot to include this link, sorry about that. C
https://sites.google.com/a/hadleyschools.org/life-in-a-new-england-town/home/hadley/the-hockanum-school-house
Salisbury, Massachusetts officials are currently exploring “alternatives” where it concerns one of our two remaining one-room schoolhouses. The March School on Ring’s Island is in a neglected physical state, and the concern from a heritage standpoint is that its attraction right now is its real estate development potential, and not how it can be preserved and showcased.
We have a one room schoolhouse that dates to 1737 in Millis, MA, built by the early settlers in this area just west of the Charles River. The building was originally located a block away at “schoolhouse hill” but was moved to this site sometime after 1833. The post and beam structure is intact, most of the original windows still exist as does the internal privy.