NORWICH — When visitors walk into the Norwich Historical Society, there’s a sign rarely found at other museums: “Please Touch” on a small chalkboard.
That chalkboard is part of a larger exhibit titled “Schooling in Norwich.” The first room replicates the setup of a one-room schoolhouse.
“Everything in this room is touchable,” said Sarah Rooker, director of the historical society. Visitors are welcome to sit at the desks, read the books and use the slates while facing a chalkboard and teacher’s desk and podium at the front of the room.
Norwich had a peak of 20 separate school districts in the 1830s. After the Civil War, they started to consolidate districts. The number of schools grew and shrank with the population of the town. And not all schools were open at the same time.
“It depended on the availability of teachers, the students, the season,” Rooker said.
The exhibit includes information about all of the town’s one-room schoolhouses, including the Root Schoolhouse, which a nonprofit organization is working hard to restore.
In the 1800s, children typically started attending school once they turned 6 years old. The average class size was 15 students.
“It wasn’t as standardized as it was today,” Rooker said. “Not a lot of kids went onto grade eight or grade six.”
Each school district had its own quirks, and the buildings varied in size from small wooden buildings to those made out of brick.
“Some schools had more access to funds,” Rooker said of the differences. “There are stories that connect to issues today.”
For example, it’s not the first time school consolidation has been a topic in Vermont. Although Act 46 is new, consolidating schools is not.
“We try to think about exhibits that people throughout the community can relate to,” Rooker said.
After World War II, there were five school districts left in Norwich. In 1952, the last one-room schoolhouse closed.
“It became easier for kids to get to school a little farther away,” Rooker said.
While putting together the exhibit, volunteers were delighted to find photographs or other objects related to members of their families. And they looked at more than just what children were learning in school.
“Some of the volunteers spent a lot of time looking at how the schoolhouses were built,” Rooker said. “We have some really special artifacts from these schools.”
Editor’s note: The Norwich Historical Society is open Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m.–noon and by appointment. For more information about the exhibit, visit norwichhistory.org, call 802-649-0124 or email info@norwichhistory.org. Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.
