September 1947 through May 1948
BY Ursula Jasch Gifford-Sally
First grade only
– We used to sit at our desks with paper tiles with numbers and letters on them to put them in order on our desktops (in first grade; maybe the second graders, too). Whoever sat behind me was irritated with me because my braids got onto his desk and swept his hard work out of order. Oops!
-We had two outhouses south of the school building- one for boys and one for girls. I’ve never wanted to kill time in an outhouse- do what you had to do and get out of there. If we had to “go”, there was a chalk square on the bottom left side of the front chalkboard where we put our initials, then erased them when we came back in. Sometime during the school year, some mysterious “hooligans” vandalized the girls’ side, so we all had to use the boys’ after that.
-That was quite a hill to climb to our house up across from the library, but going back was lots easier! I used to like to walk through the cemetery and read the names and dates on the headstones. I can’t remember how much time we were allowed for lunch, maybe one hour. Had to be back before the bell! During one of many days slogging up the hill during the winter, I remember being hungry and thinking that the slush looked like brown sugar. One day, I couldn’t stand it anymore, and tasted it! I still remember how awful that tasted- good thing nobody saw me.
Center School as we see it today has been restored to its original classic simplicity, but in 1930 it boasted some alterations that the pupils thought special. These included a large arched window on the wall, shingles on the exterior, and a furnace in the cellar which had a register in the floor through which hot air was circulated to provide warmth, unlike most of the other schools which were heated by pot-belly stoves.
BY John F. Peckham
-I recall the first and second graders on frigid days having to be helped out of their winter garments by the teacher and then crowding around the register and then bursting into tears because the circulating heat caused chill blains.
-Among the highlights of the school year were occasions when all the one-room pupils participated in joint activities such as spelling bees and speaking contests and, of course, graduations. I remember Governor Wilbur Cross speaking on a platform at the Harwinton Fair, when a select group of pupils serenaded the Governor.
-Because the Center School was next to Lead Mine Brook, pupils were strictly forbidden to have any wading or contact with the stream, especially any walking on ice; and I seem to remember being sent home with a note to my parents after I had been caught sliding on the frozen surface. As well there were punishments such as sessions with the “ruler” or writing a phrase 100 times on the blackboard. There were rewards such as raising the flag or ringing the hand bell to start the school day- tasks which were assigned to deserving pupils.
The school was always so dark; it must have been from fog settling or something so we decided to work toward getting electric lights installed. It was a big undertaking but we worked selling articles of food, cakes, candy, etc. We even put on an “Entertainment Night” with whatever talent we could scrape together. One big calling card that night was that Pauline Swenson offered to tap dance. Even my aunt & uncle from New Britain came to see her, and they felt it was worth the trip. As I remember it was a great fun night and we eventually could get our electric lights. It was heaven after working in the dark for so long, thanks to Miss Deegan who truly made it a project.
BY Luella Johnson Cable
My family lived on North Road during my school years. It was some walk to school, but for some reason we didn’t mind it. Halfway we would open our lunchbox to see what was for lunch. Sometimes it was better than others. When my sister, two brothers and I arrived home, my mom was often busy baking or preparing fresh vegetables from the garden for our supper. She was always busy.
BY PAula C. Kelley
-The last day of school was so very special. It was even better if you passed to the next grade! Sometimes it seemed forever before you got the courage to look at your marks.
I remember coming to school in the winter and the classroom was very cold. One of the older boys was paid to start the furnace and it took time to heat the room. Other memories were a bucket of water with a dipper we all used. Later we brought our own metal cups. The “book-box” library was a favorite. We could borrow books to take home to read. Heidi was at the top of my list.
By Tekla Fredsall Palmer
-Lewis S. Mills was Supervisor of Education and visited each school. He wore a brace and lift on his left shoe due to an injury in childhood. He had empathy for us all and we looked forward to his coming to our school. Mr. Mills presided over the graduation exercises at the Town Hall. Each graduating student took part in the program and graduation was a gala event.
-Graduated from Center School on June 17, 1932 and went on to Torrington High School. Our quality of a one-room education was very evident.
-After retiring as Supervisor, Mr. Mills contributed to the magazine the Lure of the Litchfield Hills.
-The old Center School, now on the grounds of the Consolidated School, is not the one most of us remember. The Center School I remember was near Lead Mine Brook. It had a Palladian-window to the roadside and was covered with brown cedar shingles. My father, Frank A. Fredsall, working for William McConway, did the renovation. He left old timbers above the new ceiling so that the room could be restored to the original.
