The Pleasant Valley District 5 Schoolhouse

by Michael J. Salvatore

This is the only old district schoolhouse in South Windsor that hasn't been demolished or converted to a home.
The first Pleasant Valley school was built on the north side of Ellington Road in 1837 and was sold to Horace R. Stoughton in 1862 for $35, after town officials set a site across the street for a new school for the fifth district.
In researching the building, local historian Doris Burgdorf found records that the teacher in 1869 was paid $66 for an 11-week winter term. Wood, glass, putty, a new stove and sundries were noted as yearly expenses. Subsequent changes included a front addition, painting, outbuildings, and a well. In 1882, the average student population was between 29 and 37 students.
By 1922, the school had been reduced to serving 18 children in four grades. The school was officially closed in 1952.
From 1978 to 1994, the historical society leased and maintained the Ellington Road building as a museum, open to visitors and to annual field trips by local elementary school children and scouting groups. Society members sought and received town meeting approval to acquire the building and began a $50,000 restoration project, funded by various society activities, donations and a private grant for $20,000. During the restoration, two types of blackboards were found under more recent wallboard and two more recent ceilings were removed. Separate entry doors for boys and girls, typical of the 19th century, have been restored, and windows have been refurbished.
During 1998, members accepted a $29,400 bid from James Roy Building Co. of Coventry for a 400-square-foot addition to the rear of the former one-room school. The work included a basement, small kitchen area, new bathroom, and handicapped ramp. Painting, cabinets, sheetrock, electrical, heating, and plumbing work were completed later, and repairs were made to the roof of the existing building. The project also included insulation, hard-wood floors, a tiled bath, thermal windows, and siding to match the existing building.
The work was overseen by former society president June Lanza and by Frank Castro and the late Michel Lanza, of the society's building committee.
The museum is open from 1 to 4 p.m. the first Sunday of each month, May through November. During July and August, the museum will also be open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are welcome.
The society is still accepting donations for the maintenance and operation of the museum. Tax-deductible contributions may be mailed to the Society, P. O. Box 216, South Windsor, CT 06040. Funds are also being raised through our Affiliate Programs program and a "Buy a Brick" Campaign (see below).

Walkway from the Past into the Future

by Carol Barrett

The South Windsor Historical Society is selling personalized bricks as a fundraiser. The bricks will be used to construct a sidewalk for the Pleasant Valley District 5 Schoolhouse Museum, and bricks are installed periodically. Bricks may be inscribed with a name or brief message as part of the walkway, which will be an everlasting memorial. Each brick may have one or two lines of print with up to 13 characters or spaces per line. All letters will be capitalized. The donation for the bricks is $35 for an individual, family, non-profit group or a business. Orders may be sent, with the appropriate check made out to South Windsor Historical Society, to Lorraine Jones, 1712 Main St., East Windsor Hill, CT 06028. Please include the name, address, and phone number of the donor. The message of each line must fit within the 13-space limit. For example:

[ ] [ ] [M][R] [.] [ ] [&] [ ] [M ][R] [S] [.] [ ]

[J] [O] [H] [N] [ ] [B] [I] [S] [S] [E] [L] [L] [ ]

For further information call 860-289-8884.