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Reed School
The Story:
Well, we finally jumped in and did it—we bought a school. Actually, the Lebanon school district gave us one and so we started a nonprofit organization--The Reed School Associaton. Named for the family that started our farm back in the 1800’s, the matriarch of which was the school’s first teacher, the Reed School is a one-room schoolhouse that had fallen into disrepair and neglect thanks to consolidation, modernization, and a lot of other inevitable “-ation’s.". In any case, it pained us to continually neighbor up to such a neat old building whose history intertwined with our own. So, we asked and the district agreed to use funds allocated for the school’s demolition instead for its relocation, onto our farm, just across the road.
We plan to restore the Reed School and incorporate it into a “farm camp” for children, a summer day camp that will provide safe and fun activities aimed at teaching kids about the wonders and responsibilities associated with life on the farm. Kids will get to participate in making crafts, gardening, taking nature hikes, doing wildlife studies, blueberry picking, and other projects—all the while developing skills, confidence, and a solid work ethic. The Reed School will provide a lovely classroom setting for participants, probably not unlike that experienced by the kids’ grandparents. Both the Reed School and the farm camp will be part of a non-profit organization run by Springbank Farm. The building will also be made available to local groups and organizations and people wishing to tour the facility.
The school now sits on a new foundation, facing North, just off of the original Berlin Road (covered with grass now, on the south side of the current county road. Necessary structural and flooring repairs (remarkably few, given years of neglect) have been made, the porch has been restored to better than original condition, and it has a new roof. The front windows have been repaired, and concrete for a back porch, stairs, and access ramp are about to be poured (in August 2011). Historically accurate siding is being replaced where necessary, and paint inside and out are planned for the coming months, along with interior restoration work. We have been very lucky to find a master carpenter in Brad Morse, who was recommended by building mover Steve Hoskins, also a fine contractor to work with. Brad has a heart of pure gold and would surely make the original builder proud, if not a bit envious even of his skill.
We hope to have a little fundraiser event for the building soon, as this labor of love runs a big tab. We thank family, friends, neighbors, and community organizations who have supported this dream in various ways, and we appreciate the confidence in our vision. Stay tuned.
Some History:
Springbank Farm was owned by the John Reed family in the late 1800’s and up until Paul and Phyllis O’Driscoll purchased the farm in 1973. Mrs. Anna Bond Reed was the Reed School’s first teacher. Built in 1924, the school is a fine example of turn-of-the-century craftsmanship, featuring a bell tower, a handmade tapered wooden flag pole, and a classic one-room design. Last used as a music classroom for elementary students of Hamilton Creek School, the school has sat unused by the District for several years. As children, back in the 1970’s, Brian O’Driscoll and siblings Kathryn and Sean had music and square dancing lessons in the Reed School under the instruction of Mrs. Judy Schrader, who taught first grade in the building for many years.