PELHAM UNION SCHOOL

[Author Unknown]

This one-room schoolhouse was built in 1852, and served pupils from four townships- Pelham, Gainsborough, Clinton and Louth- until 1965, when it closed. The land had been bought for five pounds from John Cosby and the present school built, replacing an earlier from structure located on the opposite corner. The bricks were made from clay found on the Cosby farm.

A bell was purchased in the early 1900’s, a large slate blackboard installed and an organ and piano were bought for musical instruction. In 1907, additional land was purchased and the  school grounds were extended.In 1945, Pelham Union School won first prize in the school beautification contest in Welland County and fifth provincially. The school  continued to win prizes, with pupils planting shrubs, a perennial garden, a large circular bed of annuals, and window boxes on the west wa;; filled with bright flowers. Fence posts, a flagpole and pump were kept painted, and a bucket well was erected with funds from the prize money.

The Pelham Recreational Board assumed control of the school when it closed in 1965 and the Women’s Institute of Pelham Union  began to use it as a meeting place and community hall.

PELHAM UNION SCHOOL

[Pelham Historical Calendar 1978]

The one-room schoolhouse- with Ontario Readers, heating stoves and inkwells- is a memory now.This little,red brick schoolhouse is one of the oldest in the area. It served four  townships- Pelham, Gainsboro, Clinton, and Louth- until as recently as 1965.

The 100th anniversary of the school was celebrated in 1952. A century earlier, “Twenty-one Square rods of land were bought for five pounds from Mr. John Cosby”, and the present brick school was built, replacing an earlier frame structure on the opposite corner. A brick-making machine was used to shape clay from Mr. Cosby’s farm into the bricks for the school.

In the early 1900’s a bell was purchased, a large slate blackboard installed and an organ and piano were bought for the musical instruction offered to the children. The sturdy double desks were still in use when the school closed, and many desks were bought by former pupils. In 1907 more land was purchased and the school grounds were extended.

School Beautification Contests were an important part of school life. In 1945 Pelham Union School won first prize in the Welland County contest and fifth provincially. Each year after that the school entered and received prizes. Pupils helped plant shrubs, a perennial garden, a large circular bed of annuals. Window boxes brightened the west wall. Fence posts, flagpole and pump were kept freshly painted. A bucket well was erected, with funds from the School Beautification prize money, when Miss Lillian Neal retired in 1951 after teaching in the school for thirty-nine years.

When thr Pelham Township school area was formed the children of this school were taken by bus to other Pelham schools. Pelham Union School closed in June 1965. The building is now managed by the  Pelham Recreation Board. It is used and looked after by the Women’s Institute of Pelham Union, Community Buildres Branch. The school, in outer appearance, is much the same as when the three R’s were drilled, and the mornings began with singing “God Save The Queen.”

U.S.S. no. 7 PELHAM UNION  (PUTT’S INN)

[Author Unknown]

This school is one of the oldest in the area and is situated in the  northwest corner of Pelham Township. The pupils of U.S.S. #7 lived in Pelham, Gainsborough, Clinton and  Louth Townships. As the records have been inadvertently destroyed, information has been meagre and this has been compiled from the memories of pupils.

Little is known of the first school which was a few yards south of the present building, on rather low ground.

Around 1850, the present brick building was constructed on the  corner of “Schoolhouse Lane” and the  “Townline.” This small lot was a  part of the property owned by Murray Cosby. It had been granted to the  Cosby family as United Empire Loyalists. Later, the farm was owned by his daughters, Mrs John Haist who taught at the school in the late 1880’s with about 8 dozen pupils. The school yard was small with a board fence just west of the well and a few feet north of the school. The woodshed was a small separate building.

In the early days, the desks were long and placed lengthwise in the room under the windows. These long desks and benches were often a disturbing factor when one pupil wished to raise the desk lid while the other wrote. From about 1875 until the school was closed, double desks without lids were used in the traditional arrangement in the room. Samples of these desks may still be seen in the neighbourhood.

The older boys took turns building the wood fire to heat the  building. Periodically, a fire was lit outdoors to heat water for the  girls to scrub the floor. The small entry at the west was a place for the water pail and dipper and for coats.

Probably in the early 1900’s, the school yard was doubled in width and extended west to the town line. The rather large woodshed was attached to the east end of the building.

During Miss Neal’s forty years as teacher, many things changed. Even though there was caretaker services for lighting fires and sweeping the floor and dusting, one day in May was a cleaning day. On Arbor Day, pupils brought cleaning equipment, rakes and hoes, etc. The yard was raked windows, woodwork and floors were cleaned and flowers planted. Work proceeded quite rapidly even though the number of pupils were often very small because the day ended with a walk to the woods for wildflowers. This was generally to the corner of the Town Line and Tintern Road on the  farm of Mr. Peter Bradt.

Christmas concerts were big events when stage entrances were made from icy woodshed or from behind the piano. Lighting was by  coal oil lamps and later, from borrowed Mantle Lamps or gasoline lanterns. In the early 1930’s, the school was wired for electricity.

The original entry was doubled in size in the 1940’s and converted into washrooms. The old box stove was replaced by an oil space heater about 1955.

In 1965, the Township School Board decided to close the school and transport all pupils south to larger schools. The Community Builders Branch of the Womens’ Institute considered buying the property.. On Hallowe’en however, in that same year, fire destroyed the woodshed and much of the interior of the main building. The Community Builders have done much renovation and are using the building for their activities.

Teachers at U.S.S. #7 (Putt’s Inn)

Flavell Davis 1867-?
Isaac Moyer
Miss Effie Miller 1885-1888 ?
Miss Maggie Cosby (Mrs. John Haist)
John Comfort
Adison Moore
Geo. Henry (6 Mos.)
Adison Moore
Flavell Davis 1896- ?
Miss Lily Lampman
Miss Anna Sheldrick
Miss Mabel Huff (Mrs C. Van Every, Beamsville 1905-1907
Miss Sara McDougall (Mrs. Lorne Gordon, Harrison 1907-1909
Miss Irene Wright
Miss Smart
Miss Lillie Neal 1912-1952
Mrs. Gerald Martin  1952-1955
Mrs. Fretz 1955-1956
Miss Spencer 1956-1957
Mr. James Perry 1957-1962
Miss Wiebe
Mr. Kenneth Hill 1963-1965

Inspectors
Mr. Ball 1880’s
Mr. W.W. Ireland 1905-1913 ?
Mr. Carefoot
Mr. Marshall
Mr. Runnalls
Mr. Peat

For many years, music was taught by St Catharines teachers on a regular basis. The teachers were—Mr. Arthur Hannahson, Mrs. Eva Griffin, Mr. Geo Hannahson.