CANTON – The parking lot at the old Canton school was filled with the aromas of barbecued chicken and tables of rummage sale items at a fundraiser for the building Saturday.

Carolyn Matott and her committee of 12 directors have big plans to convert its use to a community center and art and antique gallery. Recently, it was the site of a birthday party for Bernard Adams, 91, who was one of the first students to attend the school, graduating from 12th grade there in 1935.

The main focus of the building will be art and artifacts from bygone eras.

Artist George Ramus has a studio where he works on projects for the building. He has painted a large mural of a formal garden that will cover one wall.

Another room will show the works of artists with the main feature being paintings from Maine artist Bill Paxton. Matott has collected 70 of his paintings with scenes from Maine and war combat.

Other rooms will house antiques. The committee already has donations of Canton yearbooks, granite ware, sleigh bells, cow and turkey bells, a wooden snow shovel, old windmill mole chaser and other items.

Matott plans to have an open house in July.

The barbecue was sponsored by the Relay for Life team, which won the trophy for the fourth year in a row for raising the most money in the River Valley unit. They raised $11,294.