Historic Building Spotlight -Glen
Street School
The idea for the Glen Street
School came together in 1889 action and was
constructed the same year. About a year later, in September of 1890, the Glen
Street School was first used. Originally, the schoolhouse was comprised of two
large rooms, one on the upper level and one on the lower level. The included
Farmington Postcard photo of the Glen Street School is from the early 20th
century.
From 1890 to 1912 the Glen Street
School was used for the education of primary students and later in that period the
school added intermediate grades. In 1912 the two rooms were divided into four
rooms It is said that almost yearly fluctuations required varied usage of the building
for the students and staff.
In 1923 the school population had
grown so much that a two story, $5000, addition was built onto the school, with
two additional, large scale rooms, being provided with the new space. The class
photo on the front steps of the school, included with this article, from 1926,
was taken after this large influx of students.
A summary from the Farmington
News in the 1950’s uses earlier accounts to detail how the school spaces were
changed over time, starting in 1923 with the addition:
“One
of the old rooms was somewhat re-
duced in size to provide cloak-
room and entrance to one of the
now rooms, that on the second
floor which has been used as on
"overflow" room when one or
more of the other rooms became
overcrowded In 1945-46 It was
used to take care of an overflow
from School street school.
A similar room
on the ground floor was gradual
duced in size to provide cloak-
room and entrance to one of the
now rooms, that on the second
floor which has been used as on
"overflow" room when one or
more of the other rooms became
overcrowded In 1945-46 It was
used to take care of an overflow
from School street school.
A similar room
on the ground floor was gradual
ly
changed from a storage room
to supply and stock room for all
schools except the high school
superintendent and school board
chairman's office* teochera work-
room nurse's room and an in-
firmary where sick pupils could
rest until means were found to
transport them home.”
to supply and stock room for all
schools except the high school
superintendent and school board
chairman's office* teochera work-
room nurse's room and an in-
firmary where sick pupils could
rest until means were found to
transport them home.”
In the 1930’s the most notable renovations were a
face lift to the grounds, the buffing of all desks, redecoration of the rooms, and
the basements on both sides of the
building were “whitened” and cleaned. Between the 1940’s to the 1950’s supply
storage, etc. were moved into the basement, a second fire escape was built and
the boiler was fire proofed and classrooms were redecorated a last time.
In a 1961 Farmington News article Principal Roberts
wrote about the closing of the school:
“As
all of the citizens of Farmington realize, the year 1960 was a memorable one
for the school system. Not only did that year mark the opening of Farmington’s
new high school, one of the finest and most modern of its kind in this area,
but It also saw the closing of two long-outmoded and, in many ways, inadequate
school buildings. Both the Glen Street and the School Street schools had served
their purpose long and well, but that fact notwithstanding, they both had,
many years previously, ceased to be wholly adequate—becoming inadequate in
space as the town grew and inadequate in facilities as concepts of education
grew.”
After more than two decades of being used as a home
base by local businesses, and a fair amount of neglect, in 1990 the Glen Street
school building was torn down, as seen in the July 1990 Puddledock Press photo.
For more information about the Glen Street School
search the online archives of the Farmington News and the archived additions of
the Puddledock Press online.
Kyle Leach, Curator
Farmington NH Historical Society
Museum of Farmington History
http://farmingtonnhhistory.omeka.net
Farmington NH Historical Society
Museum of Farmington History
http://farmingtonnhhistory.omeka.net
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