It’s hard for today’s children to even imagine a one-room schoolhouse. So hard, that the only way to believe is to see it. In an age of computer rooms, art rooms and gymnasiums, the Green’s Corners one-room schoolhouse is a lesson in history.
This West Glenville landmark is located just on the outside of town at the intersection of Green’s Corners and Potter roads.
The town has Adrienne Karis to thank for the restoration of the building. The 84-year-old history lover decided to take the schoolhouse under her wing and convinced the town to fund the restoration of the building. Residents who has attended the school provided the town with details of what the building had looked like inside when they were students there. Karis said it took her six years to get the project completed, including having the town make it an official part of their history.
When I came upon this building, I immediately thought, this is something that should be seen and cherished. Many of the schoolhouses are now shops, barns, used storage. I wanted this to be a place for our children to see local history, said Karis.
The schoolhouse was originally built in 1825 and remained open until 1946. Karis said the restoration of the building even included recreating a lesson on the chalkboard. The original desks were moved; however, vintage replicas were brought in as well as textbooks.
Local schools and libraries have made use of the history lesson provided by the schoolhouse. The Mohawk Valley Library Association has made the building part of its educational program `I SPY,` which teaches children how to learn about history in their own communities. Karis said while the schoolhouse has gotten some recent attention she would like to see more visitors as well as volunteers.
`The schoolhouse is operated by all volunteers and we are always eager to find help,` said Karis.
Visitors can listen to audiotapes that give the history behind the school, something else Karis said she owes to those who were able to give very detailed recollections.
Town historian Joan Szablewski said that this is just an example of the rich history Glenville has to offer.
`I have enough history to write several books. This area has so much history, it’s a great place for our local children to learn about American history,` said Szablewski.
The schoolhouse museum is open to visitors until the end of August and by appointment only through Oct. 15. For information, visit the town Web site at www.townofglenville.com.“
