Pleasant Valley Schoolhouse Museum Open July and August

The following announcement was posted June 23, 2014, on the South Windsor town website.

The South Windsor Historical Society’s Pleasant Valley District #5 Schoolhouse Museum, 771 Ellington Rd., will be open Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 3 p.m. during July and August. 

Used as a town elementary school from 1862 to 1952, the building has been renovated and expanded by the Historical Society as a local history museum containing school and town memorabilia. Parking and admission are free; donations are welcome.

This is the only old district schoolhouse in South Windsor that hasn't been demolished or converted to a home.  It replaced an earlier school that had been built on the north side of Ellington Road in 1837.

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.

Most of the upper level is maintained as a 19th century school room, while the lower level has displays of various items from the town’s agricultural and social history. Among the items for sale at the museum are replicas of the Union District School,  maps of old South Windsor and schoolhouse notepaper, with proceeds used for maintenance of the building. Memorial bricks for a walk are also being sold for $35.

Museum chair Joan Walsh said small antique items of South Windsor significance are welcome for display as space permits.

Appointments for other times may be made by calling 860-291-9958.

For more information, visit the society website at southwindsorhistory.org.