Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE – Christmas bells rang early Saturday at the James School as an open house was held at the one-room schoolhouse, located on the Niles Road in Presque Isle.
Staff photo/Scott Mitchell Johnson
KATIE MAE POWERS, 4, of Washburn, bites into the cookie she decorated at the Christmas open house held Saturday at the James School in Presque Isle. Built in 1917, the James School was used as a one-room schoolhouse until 1948.
From time to time, guests would ring the original James School bell housed in the belfry just to hear what a typical start of the school day sounded like back in the 1900s.
Built in 1917 and used as a one-room schoolhouse until 1948, the James School was later used as a non-denominational church by the Hillside Gospel Mission until the early 1970s.
Sadly, for more than 20 years, the James School stood vacant, falling into disrepair. However, on April 13, 1985, a group of volunteers, led by the late Judge Julian Turner, began the restoration of the James School. With the tremendous drive, support, and dedication of many volunteers and businesses, the James School Restoration Project returned the old one-room schoolhouse to serviceable status by July 1987.
Since 1987, the buildings and grounds have been used for “a day in a country school” by grade-school teachers and students. The James School is also a museum of sorts with much of the original tin wall covering, school desks, instruction books, and bell still in place.
The James School is also being used as a picnic area, meeting place for civic organizations, weddings, family gatherings, and educational activities.
“Today we wanted everyone to come out and see the school,” said Tammy Wheeler, treasurer of the James School Corp. “We took part in the Historical Society’s Pavilion at the Northern Maine Fair this year, and discovered that a lot of people didn’t know we were here or had never been here before.
“We said, ‘Well, it’s Christmas, let’s have a little open house,’” she said, noting that children from Zippel Elementary School, Easton Elementary School and Washburn Elementary School made the holiday decorations. “The Zippel kids came out Friday and did all the decorating for us.”
During the open house, children could decorate a cookie or cut out paper snowflakes. Refreshments were provided by the Spragueville Extension.
“We’ve also given a lot of tours,” said Wheeler. “The children were amazed with the girls’ outhouse that’s still here inside the school, and the fact that we don’t have running water. In fact, there was a little boy here this morning with his grandmother baking cookies and they went to wash their hands and we had to boil water after we got it out of the well. We have a pump right out in front of the school.”
The well was dug July 1987. An outside wood shed also serves as the functioning outhouse.
Recognizing that there are so many things for people to do nowadays that the James School “sometimes slips through the cracks,” Wheeler said the board is working on trying to get us out in the open and into the public.”
“We’re going to be very involved in the Presque Isle Sesquicentennial next summer and will have a big event. We don’t know exactly what it will be yet, but we’re hoping to have a family event with games for the kids, entertainment for the adults, and some kind of a meal in August,” she said. “I’d really like to see more school kids come out. I know some of the classes come and have a whole day here and bring their lunches. I’d like to see more of that.”
Wheeler said she was pleased with Saturday’s turnout.
“At one point there was a huge rush and it was pretty close to standing-room only,” she said. “Our goal was to let people know that we’re here and I think we did that.”
The open house also served as a food drive as guests were encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item and place it under the Christmas tree that was situated at the front of the classroom. The food was later donated to the regional “Feed the County” program operated by Catholic Charities Maine.
The James School is open Sundays from 1-2 p.m. July through August or by appointment. For more information, contact Wheeler at 227-0388 or by e-mail at twheeler2@maine.rr.com.
Staff photo/Scott Mitchell Johnson
BUILT IN 1917 and used as a one-room schoolhouse until 1948, the James School in Presque Isle was the site of a Christmas open house Saturday. During the two-hour event, guests enjoyed refreshments provided by the Spragueville Extension and tours of the old school, while children could decorate a cookie or cut-out paper snowflakes.?
Staff photo/Scott Mitchell Johnson
TWO-YEAR-OLD Cameron Wilcox, of Presque Isle, plays with a quill and inkwell in one of the old, wooden desks Saturday at the James School in Presque Isle during a Christmas open house.
Staff photo/Scott Mitchell Johnson
DREW AND BRYNN WESTON, of Centreville, New Brunswick, were among the many people who attended the Christmas open house at the James School in Presque Isle Saturday. Here, the siblings see what it’s like to sit in the old, wooden desks. Built in 1917 and used as a one-room schoolhouse until 1948, the James School was later used as a non-denominational church by the Hillside Gospel Mission until the early 1970s.
Staff photo/Scott Mitchell Johnson
A CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE at the James School Saturday also served as a food drive as guests were encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item and place it under the Christmas tree that was situated at the front of the classroom. The food was later donated to the regional “Feed the County” program operated by Catholic Charities Maine.
Staff photo/Scott Mitchell Johnson
IZABELLE HIGGINS, left, and Ryder Wight show off the snowflakes they made at the James School Christmas open house that was held Saturday in Presque Isle.
