Irondale Schoolhouse rings bell on 11th season; ice-cream social June 8

One of many photos on exhibit at the Irondale Schoolhouse, this one showing a horse-drawn school bus in North East dating to 1912.

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Irondale Schoolhouse rings bell on 11th season; ice-cream social June 8

MILLERTON — The Irondale Schoolhouse rang the bell on its 11th season on Saturday, May 24, once again showcasing what schooling was like in the mid-19th century in North East.

Visitors sifted in during the morning to see the exhibit, a joint effort of the Friends of North East Hisotorical Society and the Friends of the Irondale Schoolhouse.

A few girls stopped to pull on the rope that rings the school bell, before getting a cookie inside and then continuing on the rail trail.

Last year the school was granted membership in the Country Schools of America, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the memory of country schools and promoting scholarship about the early American educational experience.

The Irondale Schoolhouse is an 1850s one-room schoolhouse that served the Irondale community until 1930. It was saved from further deterioration by a group that bought the building for $30,000 with private funds and later moved it to Millerton to serve as a public information and visitor center managed by the Friends of the Irondale Schoolhouse.

The Schoolhouse will be open throughout the summer on Saturdays and Sundays, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. A team of docents will be on hand during these times to share knowledge and stories of early rural education, and the history of one-room schools.

At irondaleschool.org a short video shows how the Schoolhouse was rescued from oblivion, carefully restored, and moved to its present location.

On Sunday, June 8, as part of National Children’s Day, there will be an Ice-Cream Social & Hoola-Hoop Competition at the schoolhouse.

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