USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Fairfield > This is Fairfield, 1639-1940 > Part 33
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The popularity of the small district school was beginning to wane as the century neared a close and the Town looked to a more adequate pro- gram of Education. Each year brought the Con- solidation of Schools closer to becoming a re- ality. The report of the School Committee at a Town Meeting held on January 16, 1897 shows the following:
E. Livingston Wells, President of the Board of School visitors Resolved:
(1) That the school at Hoyden's Hill be closed and a new school house be built near Wilson's Saw Mill.
(2) That the Deerfield Schoolhouse be closed and that the Burr's District Schoolhouse be moved on Burr's highway in the Deerfield District and located where the Selectmen and Town School
Committee may deem best.
(3) That the Town School Committee are hereby directed to close the schools in Bulkley's dis- trict and in Banks South District when the yearly average attendance falls to eight pupils.
(4) That a sum not to exceed $1000 is hereby ap- propriated for the purpose of building an ad- dition to the Greenfield Hill District school- house to be used for the purpose of a grammar grade, Provided that the foregoing resolutions are adopted and carried into effect.
(5) Resolved that the Selectmen are hereby direct- ed to carry into effect the foregoing resolutions in time for the opening of the schools on Sep- tember 1, 1897.
Resolution adopted.
The Curriculum too was being broadened. At this point there were 18 teachers in town.
No. of Teachers
Southport
3
Mill Plain
2
Greenfield Hill
2
Middle
3
Jennings Woods
1
Stratfield
1
Plattsville
1
Holland Hill
1
Banks North
1
Deerfield
1
Wilson's Mills
1
Bulkley's
1
The School Committee decided upon the fol- lowing visiting assignments and were to report on "their" respective schools monthly.
Dr. Dunham-Greenfield Hill, Banks North, Bulk- ley's.
M. B. Lacey-Plattsville, Jennings' Woods, Deer- field, Wilson's Mills.
A. P. Wakeman-Mill Plain.
Rev. T. J. Coleman-Middle and Holland Hill.
John Hawkins-Southport.
M. E. Banks-Stratfield.
Their coming to visit the school was feared by the children. They would test the individual children with a long difficult sum or a question on government to see how much they had learned since their last visit. Some of the Visitors were indeed adequate for their assignment and really questioned the children on detail.
In 1898 Civil Government and Physiology were ordered taught in "all grammar depart- ments (the upper grade) from textbooks at least twice each week and in all other Departments to be given orally". Closets were ordered for globes, books, and supplies for Wilson's Mills and Plattsville and automatic inkwells were ordered for all schools. The Grammar Departments were to have written examinations and the little people oral ones. The written exams were to have 10
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questions each in English and Arithmetic.
It was reported that year that all departments of the Middle District School were overcrowded "with more pupils than sittings".
A half holiday was declared for the boys and girls at Middle, Mill Plain, Greenfield Hill and Southport to permit the children to hear a lec- ture on "Birds" in Washington Hall-above the Southport School. Note the pictures of Washing- ton Hall in the picture section.
The schools that had wells for their water sup- ply often had trouble with them with contamina- tion and those that had no wells were a nuisance to the neighbors for they had to "borrow" all of the time. An analysis was taken in 1898 and both Southport District School's and the Middle Dis- trict School's wells were condemned. The next year Holland Hill had the same trouble and it was necessary "to draw water from J. H. Hew- itt's". Mr. Frank C. Hansen offered the use of his well free of charge to the Southport School. $1.00 a month was paid for well water for Jen- nings' Woods and for Nichols Terrace Schools. Since there was no well at Banks North, the children had to go over to Sherwood Banks' place for water. Mr. Banks not only suggested that the well be dug partly on his place, but also offered to help in defraying the cost of sinking the well.
In 1902 running water was put into the Middle District School with the cooperation of the Bridgeport Hydraulic Company for $58.
In 1910 the Committee voted to buy enough drinking cups for every child in each school.
The Text Book Committee recommended that Reed and Kellogg's Grammars and the series of readers "Stepping Stones to Literature" be adopted-to be introduced as old texts were worn out or new classes were formed.
Tuition in this period amounted to 38ยข a week.
Both the Town Meeting Minutes and the School Committee minutes showed a growing in- terest in Physical Culture at that time. There was a class in the afternoon in the hall above the Southport school and it was reported that the noise annoyed the older children while they were working. The class was immediately discontin- ued. It wasn't long though before it became a part of the regular weekly curriculum.
From the Town Meeting Minutes :- October 3, 1898-"Motion made that the recommenda- tion of the School Board receive the approval of this meeting and that an appropriation of $600 for Music and Physical Culture be granted them" .- Passed.
Dr. Dunham and Moses E. Banks were ap- pointed a Committee to hire the teacher. The fol- lowing June, Miss Carroll, the first teacher was requested to prepare an exhibition in music and physical culture from the entire Town. The ex- hibitions were to be held in the Town Hall and at Washington Hall in Southport. Her efforts received a fine commendation from the School Committee. When Dr. Dunham reported on "his" schools he said that the exhibits at Plattsville and Banks North had been excellent there and the singing had been especially good too. Miss Car- roll the first music teacher in Town is shown in the Wilson's Mill School's group picture.
The next year the Southport Firemen were given permission to use the grounds and part of the Southport Schoolhouse for their annual car- nival on July 4, 1899. The Banks South School and the Burr's School were disposed of. The former building was sold for $22.50 and the stove and coal for an additional $7.50.
The first unified Course of Study was planned in 1899 when the School Committee voted that the Principals of the Grammar Departments were directed "to meet to frame a code of studies to the end that the work of the departments in all schools throughout the Town may in some degree correspond". This was a move with a great deal of foresight, for few communities in the country had reached this level of organization and planning. It has been indeed evident that the Committee Members or the teachers were always seeking to better their procedures. As early as 1902, all teachers were meeting together on Fri- day afternoons once each month, for conferences on methods. Lectures were held on Saturdays to glean new ideas for their daily work with boys and girls. This notice is at the Pequot Library.
All Interested Are Invited to Attend! A Teachers' Meeting will be held in The Middle District School Building Fairfield Saturday, Feb. 4, 1905 2:30 P.M. Subject-"What public libraries and public schools are doing for each other
Caroline M. Hewins Hartford
New books were sought in 1899 -- "Dr. Dun- ham brought attention to Atwoods Series of Arithmetic as being up to date and complete and asked permission to use them with the others in his schools" -- and in 1901 the Marquand, Mer- rill and Company Half Slant Course of Writing
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books were adopted for use in the Schools.
New information and experiences were brought to the children in 1900-"Mrs. Mabel Osgood Wright talked to all the pupils of Centre School on Arbor and Bird Day as to birds and their habits and gave each child some seeds to plant", and "Mrs. Wright has secured a fine piano for the use of Centre School", and in 1899
Resolved that a vote of thanks be given by these joint Boards (School Committee and Board of Sel- ectmen) to Dr. M. V. B. Dunham and Mrs. Dunham for their untiring efforts to promote the efficiency of the Greenfield Hill School by giving instruction in vocal music to the pupils during the past year which culminated so successfully by an entertain- ment given May 18, resulting in receipts of $50.00 for the benefit of the School.
And further
Resolved that these Boards give a vote of thanks to Mrs. Frederick Bronson for her generous dona- tion of works of art to the Greenfield Hill School, also to the Greenfield Hill Village Improvement Society for tastefully laying out and beautifying the School grounds with shrubbery and flowers, which add much to the pleasure of school life and is a delight to all, etc. etc.
The $50 raised by the entertainment helped pay for the first piano at the Greenfield Hill School.
There were to be additions to the program and a shortened school year.
Town Meeting-Oct. 7, 1901
Judge Elmore S. Banks presented the following resolution :
Resolved-That the Town School Committee be and they hereby are instructed to require one hour of attendance and instruction by the music teacher so called in music and physical culture each week in each school room, except in the four primary department rooms where such attendance and in- struction shall be one half hour each week.
Amended by Rev. A. E. Beeman that the matter be left to the judgment of the School Board.
Amendment lost.
Resolution of E. S. Banks passed.
Dr. Donaldson moved that the School Committee be requested to make arrangements for 36 weeks of school instead of 40 weeks as formerly. Passed.
Judge Perry moved that the amount asked for schools be $12,500.00 instead of $12,000.00. Passed.
Judge Perry moved that the School Board be in- structed to investigate school accommodations, their conditions and needs and cost of providing addi- tional accommodations if necessary, also as to the rights and titles of all school property and report at a Special Town Meeting. Passed.
Taken and recorded by George H. Knapp, Town Clerk.
On June 9, 1900, the School Committee voted
to send "Twenty pupils of our Public Schools who shall pass the best examinations for entrance to the Bridgeport High School". It was later voted to pay tuition for all who chose to take the examination and passed it. High School pupils from Fairfield attending the Bridgeport High School 1900-1901 were: Pauline Beers, Bessie Bergen, Eleanor Bradley, Alice May Grumman, Anne Sophia Grumman, Nellie McGarry, Mabel W. Nichols, Mary Frances Sherman, Thomas J. Kelley, Albert H. Knapp, Winthrop Blaine Northrop, John Maurice Deyo, Marie J. Rogers.
Also in 1900 a committee was established to develop a uniform system of grading through- out the schools.
Housing was ever a problem-in 1899 it was reported that there were 10 or 12 more pupils than seats and the year before the Committee had ruled that "whenever any room is overcrowded by children attending from another district, the acting school visitor shall direct said children to attend school in their own district" and in 1900 the Stratfield School was said to be overcrowded and the desks were too small. The Centre School too, was overcrowded, and unhealthy from a ven- tilation point of view. As a temporary measure the hall over Pickett's Store was rented for $50 a month to the end of the year. Benches and tables were brought from Greenfield and black- boards were set up. The Nichols Terrace School was said to have one more scholar than seats. A new school was built there in 1901. A few years later Holland Hill and Nichols Terrace Schools were on half day sessions for the same reason.
In 1902 Bulkley School was closed and a two room school building in the Middle or Centre District was planned-to be built on the cottage plan. In 1907 a new Nichols Terrace School was constructed for $6450-R. B. Jennings receiv- ing the contract. The old building being sold for $600.
In 1903 the School Committee hoped to estab- lish a District of Supervision with an adjoining town or two and have a Superintendent of Schools to supervise the schools within the Towns involved. They asked Westport, Easton and Strat- ford to join in the project but these towns were not interested. They then sought Trumbull's par- ticipation but they too declined. Venturesome as they had been on so many occasions they decided to hire a Superintendent of Schools for Fairfield and Mr. William Wheatley of Chester, New York was contracted to serve the Town from
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June 30, 1903 to July 1, 1904. In addition to his meagre salary he was allowed $100 for his carriage hire within the Town for the year. In 1905 Branford signified their desire to share Mr. Wheatley's services and he spent two days in Branford and three days in Fairfield. This did not last long but Westport joined Fairfield for this service July, 1908 to July 1911.
Just a little later at a Town Meeting held on Saturday, July 18, 1903 at 2 p.m., the Commit- tee which had been appointed a month earlier to survey the condition of the School Houses re- ported and their summary of existing conditions is included here.
Town Meeting-July 18, 1903 Saturday, 2 P.M.
Report of the Committee on Condition of School Houses of the Town of Fairfield. The subscribers ap- pointed by the Town on the first day of June 1903, a committee to examine its Schoolhouses and make recommendations with reference thereto, beg leave to report that we have visited all of the school buildings of the Town with one exception, viz: Nichols Terrace and examined them with care.
The Fairfield Middle District schoolhouse in ad- dition to the new construction which has been or- dered by the Town and plans for which are under consideration needs a new floor in the upper room and a partially renewed floor in the lower room, provision for ventilation in the upper room, an in- terior window over the stairway, repairs to the un- derpining and some grading next to the building.
The Southport Schoolhouse is in deplorable con- dition. The foundation should be pointed up and the ground grades around the yard should be cleaned up and graded, the fences need much repair, the front steps need renewing-in their present condi- tion they are a menace to the lives of the scholars, the gutters and leaders are badly out of order, and the roofs and cornices apparently need considerable attention. The scholars desks are antiquated and many of them broken: an interior window should be put in the partition between the front and back hallways in the basement.
The Mill Plain Schoolhouse needs repairs to the roof. Chimneys, gutters, and leaders, the scholars desks and seats in both rooms should be changed so as to be sideways to the windows, and in our judg- ment it would be well to remove the front fence entirely.
The Holland Hill schoolhouse needs repairs to the roof and leaders. There should be fixed washstands in the entry with suitable waste pipe instead of the present use of pails and basins, the yard should be freed from poison ivy and properly graded. The attendance at this school taxes the present building to its utmost.
The Jennings Woods Schoolhouse needs to be raised about one foot. The chimneys should be pointed up, the old well filled in, the fences repaired and washstands provided in the entry.
The Stratfield schoolhouse needs a knob on the
front door, repairs to the underpining and a new chimney built inside of the building with two flues, the cellar should either be made dry or a shed be provided outside for fuel, and if the cellar is re- tained some way of getting into it from the in- terior of the building should be arranged if possible. The well needs a new platform. Surface water should be led away from the building by proper grading.
The Plattsville schoolhouse needs ventilation through the underpining. A playground should be provided here at present the children are practically confined to the highway.
The Wilson's Mills schoolhouse needs a wash- stand in the entrance hall and openings in the un- derpining. This is a new schoolhouse and in good repair.
The Banks North schoolhouse has a defective chimney and a leaky roof. It necds a new floor and greater conveniences for obtaining drinking water than exist at present. The fence around the grounds should be repaired.
The Greenfield Hill schoolhouse needs new steps at the highway in the rear, a larger furnace and some repairs to the leader pipes.
Some general observations apply to all or nearly all of the above school properties. The closets (out- door toilets) arc almost without exception in a dis- graceful condition; some should be changed in loca- tion, most of them should be renovated, all should be cleaned and it should be made somebody's im- perative duty to see that they are kept in proper consideration. In their present shape they simply invite abuse. They should be kept locked when schools are not in session.
Ventilation is sadly deficient in almost all the school rooms.
This important subject needs intelligent and dili- gent attention at once. As one item toward this end, boards should be provided for the windows in every school room, adjusted so as to allow the ingress and egress of air without permitting a current of air to strike the scholars. The cellars in some of the schoolhouses are incumbered with refuse, the ac- cumulation of years and are a menace to the health of the children.
Slate blackboards should be put in every school room in place of the present arrangements.
All school room windows should be provided with suitable and serviceable shades. It is a fair question whether all exterior blinds should not be removed.
The walls of all schoolhouses should be kalso- mined or similarly treated at least once a year and cellars where such exist should be whitewashed or painted.
The school properties sorely need more intelligent and constant attention. It should be someone's duty to render this and it should be the teacher's duty to report when it is not so rendered. We found one teacher actually engaged in washing the school room windows so that the scholars might have light enough for their work. A neglected schoolhouse simply invites further injury. The teachers should be held responsible as far as practically possible for the abuse of either the school buildings or grounds by the scholars.
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We recommend: (1) That a Committee be ap- pointed with full power to put all the schoolhouses and grounds of the Town into such good condition and repair as it may deem advisable. (2) That an issue of town bonds to the amount of $10,000 be authorized, the proceeds of such part thereof as may be needed to be expended by said Committee in the discharge of the duties above referred to. (3) That an Inspector of Schoolhouses and Grounds be ap- pointed by the Town with power to keep said houses and grounds in proper repair after the work of the above mentioned committee is completed. M. E. Banks, Chairman Chas. B. Jennings, Secretary Simeon Pease Jno. H. Perry N. H. Sherwood
Fairfield, July 18, 1903
In 1905 the names of the several schools in Town were changed and many of them bear the same names today.
Southport School became known as Pequot School. Centre School became known as Sherman School.
Mill Plain School became known as Lafayette School.
Greenfield School became known as Dwight School. Holland Hill School became known as Silliman School.
Stratfield School became known as Lincoln School. Wilson's Mills School became known as Staples School.
Jennings Woods became known as Bancroft School. Plattsville School became known as Jefferson School.
Banks North School became known as Banks School.
Nichols Terrace School became known as Washing- ton School.
(See page 247 of Interesting Notes for the Course of Study adopted in 1905 in English, Penmanship, Arithme- tic, Reading, Spelling, Geography, History, Physiology and Physical Culture)
That same year an eighth grade room was planned for the Sherman School and Miss Julia B. Banks was to be the first teacher. That room was to be open to all scholars of the eighth grade from any section of the Town for one year.
In 1906 on June 21-a Thursday evening- the first graduation exercises were held. A tri- umphal day for the whole Town. The next year the eighth grade room was moved to Perry's Block (over Devore's Bakery ).
Another farsighted move was taken in 1906 when it was decided to hire only Normal School graduates for teaching positions and in 1907 a salary schedule for teachers was inaugurated.
As the little neighborhood schools closed, transportation of the youngsters to a more cen- tralized form of education became a problem. The first such arrangement had been made back in 1896 when the East Long Lots children were
carried to Greenfield for $1.50 a week. Each school closing brought new routes and in 1907 the following transportation routes were listed:
From Hulls Farms: Wagon to start at 8:15 east- erly to Wakeman's Corner, northerly to Banks cor- ner, easterly to Baker's corner, thence to School- house at a price not to exceed $240 a year ($24 a month) and this route was awarded to H. R. El- wood.
The Carrier from Banks South is to take the fol- lowing route: Wagon to start from Mr. Hawkins house at 7:45 westerly to East Long Lots School house, then northerly to Cross Highway, thence to Craft's Corner, then to Schoolhouse at a price not to excced $400 a year and this route was awarded to Frederic Hawkins.
Carrier from Bulkley's District is to take the following route: Wagon to leave Mr. Brothwell's house at 8 o'clock thencc northerly to Sherwood's corner, thence westerly to Baker's Blacksmith Shop, thence northerly to Schoolhouse at a price not to exceed $400 a year and this route is awarded to J. F. Brothwell.
Carrier from Deerfield is to take the following route: Wagon to start from Deerfield Schoolhouse at 7:45 a.m., thence southerly to Wiggin's Corner, thence westerly to Wheeler's Corner, thence souther- ly to Schoolhouse at a price not to exceed $400 a year and this route awarded to William H. Burr. All of these routes carricd children to the Greenfield Hill School.
Evidently on one occasion during a snowstorm one of the drivers used an ox sled to bring in his riders for he was severely reprimanded at one of the meetings and told that in the future he was not to use a similar conveyance under any circumstances.
One of the earliest drivers to the Greenfield School was Deacon John Hull who was noted for his dexterity of aim in swinging his long horse whip and hitting the legs of anyone who dared to ride the steps while the wagon moved along over the roads. When the children's feet got cold in the winter, they would run along behind the wagon. It has been said that one day on Bronson Road one of the wagons came upon some ice. It started to slide and turned over on its side. The children, most of whom had their skates around their necks ready for noon use on Burr's Pond (where Mr. and Mrs. William Shallow now live), landed in a heap. After a good bit of unscrambling, they helped right the wagon and all continued on their way to school undaunted!
The arrival time of the wagons was carefully scrutinized by the School Committee member in each district for they were clearly told that they were to reach the Schoolhouse "at 8:45 and not any earlier". The day started at 9 o'clock throughout town and closed at 3:30. There was
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an hour and a quarter at noon.
One of the drivers in particular was carefully scolded for he varied from 20 to 30 minutes in arrival each day and he skipped some of the passengers who weren't "already waiting for his carriage". The torn curtains in the carriage "were to be mended immediately and the cracks in the floor of the wagon were also to be cov- ered with sufficient straw". He was further told that he had to supply more than one blanket for his passengers. Does not this give you a delight- ful picture of the early school bus? There is a photograph of one of these early wagons in the picture section of this book.
When the Eighth Grade Room was first estab- lished in the Middle District, each one provided his own transportation but as the class became larger various sections requested help with get- ting their children to the room. In 1907, it was voted that trolley fares would be paid for all eighth grade children from all over town.
Trolleys were used in larger proportions as the years went on. The children from all districts used them as they went to High School except for those from Greenfield Hill who arrived each morning by bus. This bus became a concern in later years, for it was used not only by the High School children to get to and from school, but also by "the general public, sundry teachers and pupils going to Bridgeport". The School Com- mittee ordered this to be stopped immediately.
The Town was ever anxious to keep the chil- dren in school and every endeavor was expended in this regard to maintain good records of at- tendance. Each teacher was encouraged to in- crease her school's daily attendance and careful records were made mandatory. There were sev- eral interesting entries where "attendance is down at Middle District because of wet travelling" and "the attendance at Banks North is down to 5 because the children are all out to work"-in the onion fields no doubt. Miss Jessie Lobdell, Prin- cipal at Wilson's Mills in 1899 was commended for the good attendance of her scholars. It seemed that she did considerable "missionary work among her families" by visiting homes and encouraging children to attend school regularly.
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