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CORNVILLE: Historical society holds open house for 1-room schoolhouse

By Scott Monroe smonroe@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer

CORNVILLE -- Walking into the brick building on West Ridge Road Saturday afternoon, it looked as though school had started again after stopping more than 50 years ago.

Written in chalk on the blackboard: "Welcome to the Roosevelt School" and "Welcome, my name is Bertha Hilton." Pencils, books and photos adorned the tops of counters, as did cookies and refreshments.

In a way, the one-room school was back after closing in 1956. The Cornville Historical Society has moved its operations into the 1803 building and decided to hold a first-ever open house of the town's first schoolhouse, which still features original desks, benches, sink and world maps from 1912.

Five of the 30 people who visited on Saturday were alumni of the school, according to society members.

One of the visitors, resident Matt Quinn, said his father attended the school in the mid-1950s and that he attended the consolidated school that would later replace it. Quinn said he was driving into town when he saw the sign for the open house and decided to check it out.

"It's a wonderful opportunity for the town," Quinn said, as he perused historical photos inside the schoolhouse. "We need to hold onto this stuff. We lose history every day, and these are our roots."

Cornville residents know this well: after more than 200 years, the town is now without its own school. Cornville Elementary School has been closed by School Administrative District 54 as part of budget-cutting consolidation.

Elaine Hogate, secretary of the historical society, said Cornville at one time had 13 "schools" throughout town and the brick Roosevelt School was the first one of those built. An alumnus of the school has told historical society members that the schoolhouse served 18 students at one point.

The Cornville Elementary School replaced the town's schools in 1956 and became a part of the larger Skowhegan-based school district in the mid-1960s. Then, the Cornville Town Office occupied the brick schoolhouse for about 20 years, Hogate said, starting in the mid-1970s.

Historical society members Kim Pfeffer said she is amazed of all that remains inside the school, especially the original wooden desks, and likes the idea that the school served students from a variety of ages.

"That's kind of what Cornville's about," she said.

Historical society member Jean Tekverk said she was fascinated by the memories of schoolhouse alumni who stopped by the open house and shared stories, such as gathering wood for the building's stove.

One alumnus, David Trask, attended the school in the early 1950s and was among the school's last class in 1956. Trask talked about how he walked to school each day, as he lived just down the street, Tekverk said.

"There was no such thing as missing school," she said.

Historical society members said they cleaned the schoolhouse up as part of moving in and they plan to hold more open houses and exhibits occasionally during the warmer months.

Scott Monroe -- 861-9239

smonroe@centralmaine.com