The Avon Historical Society welcomes the public to a family-friendly OPEN HOUSE of the 1865 Pine Grove Schoolhouse, 3 Harris Street (West Avon Road/Route 167) on Sunday, June 5.  After that, it will be open to the public every Sunday through September from 2:00 – 4:00 pm.

Last year’s opening of the schoolhouse, listed on the National Register of Historic Places after the pandemic, was very successful. The public is invited to an open house to welcome the new tourist season!  There will be new things to see inside the schoolroom, a puzzle (for all ages) to solve about artifacts on display, and greeters to explain the building’s history.

The Pine Grove Schoolhouse, built in 1865 as Schoolhouse No. 7 and still standing in its original location, is owned by the Town of Avon.  It was in use as a school until 1949, when it became a nursery school, a branch of the town library, and a meeting place for the Boy Scouts Explorer Troop 122. In accordance with a long-term lease from the Town of Avon, the Avon Historical Society restored the building in 1976 and interprets it as a schoolhouse of 1900 with bolted desks, hand slates, textbooks, and other educational memorabilia of the time.

“Last summer, we had the highest number of visitors in over a decade. Reopening after the pandemic brought out strong interest in our local history. We encourage all residents to bring their family and friends to see this lovely 19th-century schoolhouse this summer,” said President Terri Wilson. Three years ago, the Society installed a Little Free Library next to the schoolhouse that is available 24/7.  Books for all ages are contained inside, and everyone is welcome to take a book/share a book as they would like. In addition, a National Register of Historic Places roadside marker, donated by the William G. Pomeroy Foundation, was installed on the front of the property.  The Pomeroy Foundation supports celebrating and preserving community history nationwide through its roadside marker grant program.

Over the past two decades, work has been ongoing on-site. Thanks to foundations, local companies, and private donors, the Society continues the upkeep of this wonderful historical treasure.  For example, lead paint was remediated from the exterior in 2009 thanks to a grant from the former Farmington Savings Bank Foundation.  The 100-year-old outhouse was restored and placed near its original location in 2012 thanks to a grant from J&A Construction.  Locally quarried stone steps were added to the side door. With donations of a grant from CT Trust for Historic Preservation (now Preservation Connecticut), a local McDonald’s franchisee, and very generous individual donors, 112 panes of 19th-century glass were restored in the windows in 2014. All this was timed to have the building ready for its 150^th birthday celebration in 2015, where former students and their families enjoyed an afternoon of reminiscences and storytelling.

For more information on this site and to watch a video about the schoolhouse and West Avon filmed in 2020, visit:  https://avonhistoricalsociety.org/pine-grove-schoolhouse/

Those interested in local history and genealogy are encouraged to visit the Marian Hunter History Room at the Avon Free Public Library, 281 Country Club Road, by making an appointment at 860-673-9712.