FARMINGTON – The person credited with getting the historic Red School House moved for permanent installation at the fairgrounds was honored on Sunday.
Ronald Pratt of Farmington, was applauded and received a plaque noting the accomplishment of saving and finding a location for the circa 1852 one room school house building and its large collection of artifacts, which can now be enjoyed by generations to come.
Known affectionately as the Little Red School House and located in West Farmington, closed its classroom door in 1958. It was a trend at the time when many neighborhood schools closed as the new school district moved to consolidate into larger classes in the more modern facilities.
Once closed, the Red Schoolhouse Museum Committee was formed by members of the Farmington and Wilton historical societies. They became the caretakers of the school building, which was situated on land owned and leased to them by JJ Nissen Baking Co.
When the historical societies could no longer afford to pay the insurance to keep the school house open and Nissen was looking to sell the parcel at the corner of Wilton and Red Schoolhouse roads, a decision had to be made.
“It was either find another location for it or raze it,” said Susan McCleery Small, the volunteer director of the school house museum.
Small, like many of the museum’s supporters, attended class at the school house; she until the fifth grade. When she first attended in 1949 as a kindergartener, known then as the sub-primary class, the one room school offered instruction through the eight grade. As the older classes gradually moved to bigger schools during the transitioning school administration district consolidation process, the year she entered the fifth grade, all fourth and fifth grade classes in Farmington moved to W.G. Mallett School.
“I went kicking and screaming,” Small said. Beryl Stanley was her beloved teacher through her elementary years. Classes at the one room school house, she recalled, held between 15 and 20 students. “We loved going to class there,” she said.
“All those students loved it here,” Small said looking at class photographs. “And all those students have been very generous with their time and money” in support of preserving the Red School House.
For the building to move to a new location, funding was raised in part by the local historical societies, through the efforts of the school house alumni and volunteers and the Franklin County Agricultural Society.
Pratt, Small said, was the school house advocate to preserve it and provided the leadership towards getting the building turned over to the Franklin County Agricultural Society’s ownership and placement at the fairgrounds.
In September 2006, the school house building was moved across town to the fairgrounds. It cost more than $30,000 to do it. The schoolhouse opened it doors once again during the fair of 2007.
“It took a lot of volunteers to help do it,” Small said. Yard sales and other benefits were held, generous donations of money and labor went into getting the school house open and to continually provide its restoration needs.
On Sunday, with many museum committee members, family and friends attending, Small told Pratt, “we are so grateful for what you did to secure the Red School House for the Agricultural Society.”
“It’s nice to know you’re appreciated,” Pratt said.
As they gathered, families continued to stream through the doors to see what class was like in the one room Little Red School House.
The 176th annual Farmington Fair continues all week. There’s no admission fee to visit the school house.
Ron, you are a good man with a good heart.
Points of Clarification. In 1971 the Town of Farmington sold the Red Schoolhouse building and land to J. J. Nissen Co.. Shortly after that the Farmington & Wilton Societies leased the building from Nissen, restored it to its 1852 status and operated it as a museum into the 2000s. The F.C.A.S., aka Farmington Fair, took ownership of the building and assumed the cost of relocating and restoring the RSH. The historical societies did fund raise and donate a small amount to his expense. The RSH Committee is most grateful for the support of the fair officers and trustee in the effort to maintain the building. Since 2006 the RSH friends and alums have through donations and fund raising as described above added brick steps and railing, a chimney, repaired and/or painted parts of the exterior and the handicap ramp.
Well deserved!!! Great guy
Thank you,sir.
My son went to the fair today for agriculture day and he told me all about what he learned from his tour of the Little Red School House. I was impressed with what he remembered and retold to me as he often doesn’t give me much information when he comes home from school. This obviously made a good impression! Thanks Ron for being part of this project and therefore educating our children about what school was like way before their time!
Great job! Finally recognized for your great work in preserving a town treasure.
Ron = not afraid to be awesome!
This is just another example of the impact Mr. Pratt has had on not only the Farmington area, but on the people of Maine and beyond. From his work as a businessman, teacher, mentor, volunteer and all around nice guy, the world is a better place. Thank You!
Thanks Ron, for preserving the past for the future
We were part of Ron’s first basketball coaching job at the Stratton High School. He has given to sports and those that played for him more than the local community will ever know. Working with this school is just another measure of the greatness that he has brought to the area. Thanks from all of us that you have touched in one way or another in the past
Perry
Great Job, enjoyed the story, brings back super memories from my hometown. Most of us at my age grew up as part of the Pratt family, very fortunate.
Ron, thanks for getting Gracie and all of her teammates to all of their away games. You are a great person and the world a better place, more people need to give back to their community like you do. Thanks again for all you do.