Current photo of Norwich Bridge one-room school house in Huntington. (Courtesy of Huntington Historical Society)
HUNTINGTON – The Huntington Historical Society has announced an open house at the Norwich Bridge School Museum on Sunday afternoon, July 29, from 1 to 4 p.m. The museum is located at the intersection of Worthington and Littleville Roads, next to the parking lot of the Huntington Country Store.
The one-room schoolhouse that houses the museum holds a collection of books, documents, maps, clothing, tools and other historical items from the town.
Historical Society treasurer Vicki Mayhew said there will be no formal program, but society members will be on hand to answer questions about artifacts in the museum. Mayhew said they hold open houses on the last Sunday of the month during good weather.
The Norwich Bridge School was built circa 1800, and classes were held for students in grades one through eight in the building until 1919. The record suggests the Norwich Bridge School never held more than 16 students during any one term.
Over the years, the little schoolhouse was utilized in many non-school capacities, often for club meetings, bridal and baby showers, art classes and various organizations’ general use and meetings, as well as for storage.
There were different efforts to save and preserve the building and create a living museum beginning in 1971. In 1976 a Bicentennial grant was used to more fully restore the schoolhouse to its original condition as a one-room district school with desks and blackboards.
The museum both stores, and displays, interesting historical papers, documents, photos, books, period costumes and furniture, artifacts, as well as portraying its service to townspeople as a school.
More restorative work was undertaken in 1981, and last fall, a new roof was added with funds from the Pettis Fund and the Huntington Historical Society.
The last reunion of still-living former students from the Norwich Bridge School was held in 1985.
