FARMINGTON – Known as the little red schoolhouse, the historic landmark on Wilton Road that’s served as the office for the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce may be moved.
Chamber members discussed the possibility with members of Farmington and Wilton historical societies and trustees for the Farmington Fair and agricultural museum in late January. They are interested in moving the one-room schoolhouse to the fairgrounds. Many details still need to be worked out, including ascertaining ownership of the building, which is thought to have been built in 1852.
John Knight, secretary for the Wilton Historical Society, said he’s been working on verifying the school’s ownership. So far, all he has to go on is a lease agreement signed by John R. Nissen and Charlotte Nissen Adams in 1970. At that time, the Nissens agreed to allow the historical societies to operate a museum at the site. Maintenance and insurance for the building was the responsibility of the societies.
When the insurance bill, usually covered by museum entrance fees and donations, came due this year and money was lacking, the two societies agreed to split the $600 bill, said Knight. But the bill alerted the Wilton society that they were supporting a museum that had little to do with their town. The society’s current bylaws indicate this responsibility, but Knight said members would like to change those to omit the red schoolhouse.
It was from this revelation that the idea of moving the building was born.
The property at 569 Wilton Road is owned by Interstate Bakeries Corp., which acquired it with the sale of the J.J. Nissen brand in 1997. A distribution center still operates adjacent to the schoolhouse.
According to Jason Murphy, a real estate specialist with Interstate, the property is owned by the bakery but he did not know the legal owner of the schoolhouse.
Cindy Gelinas of Farmington’s tax assessor’s office said the building is run by a nonprofit organization and is tax-exempt, providing no clues to its owner. Susan Black of the county’s registry of deeds was unable to find records for the building either.
So for now, Knight is waiting for an answer from the bakery’s legal department.
Meanwhile, fair trustees are eager to add the building to their historical displays on the fairgrounds.
Ron Pratt, spokesman for the agricultural museum at the fairgrounds, said he remembers sitting at the wooden desks arranged in rows, slates at the ready, in the building that was abandoned as a schoolhouse in 1957. He said the museum is delighted with the prospect of the acquisition.
“It’s the cat’s meow,” he said. The museum would open the schoolhouse anytime it was asked to do so if it were on the fairgrounds, he said.
Edith McCleery of the Farmington Historical Society said Monday that nothing is official though the group has begun researching the cost of moving the building.
The building is in good shape, she said. “And we want it to stay in the town of Farmington,” she added.
Knight of the Wilton society expects the moving bill to be between $20,000 to $30,000. Who would pay for that is unclear at this time.
The move would leave the Chamber of Commerce without a home. Thomas Sawyer, president for the chamber, said he was unable to comment on the situation because he’s also treasurer for the Farmington Historical Society. He did say, however, that the chamber has received several offers of new office space.
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