THE NORTH CENTER SCHOOL (C. 1810)

The North Center School from Whately Massachusetts, was in use for over 100 years before its move to Storrowton Village. Children between the ages of 3 to 18 years learned in this one-room schoolhouse. Like students today, they practiced lessons in reading, writing, arithmetic and additional subjects. They even had summer vacation - but instead of going to the beach or an amusement park, they spent it doing farmwork and preparing for the annual harvest. The schoolhouse is made of red brick and blackboards line all four walls of the classroom – a feature considered progressive when the structure was originally built in 1810. The bell tower was adapted from a schoolhouse in Vergennes, Vermont, and an attached woodshed and privy were added when the school was reconstructed at the Village. The building is nicknamed "The Little Red Schoolhouse" and is the place where many of the museum’s educational programs for children take place.