OLD SCHOOL OF THE DAY
Wyben-West Farms Schoolhouse
605 Montgomery Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Wyben-West Farms Schoolhouse is located at 605 Montgomery Road, in the Wyben section of Westfield, MA, and is one of Westfield’s hidden treasures. Built in 1861, it is the last remaining city-owned one room schoolhouse, still in its original location. It closed as a school in June, 1939, when it was last used as a school by the Westfield Normal School for the training of future teachers in rural education. The restoration is a project of the Westfield Historical Commission, with support and funding from the Westfield Community Preservation Commission and members of the community. Emphasizing restoration and not rehabilitation, organizers said that the intent is to restore the one-room schoolhouse located on Montgomery Road to its original state. The goal is to create a museum that will provide a spotlight on one-room schoolhouse education to today’s elementary school students. The effort is promoted by commission member Walter K. Fogg Jr., Westfield resident Richard Patterson, and Southampton resident Scott Duncan. Have-ing estimated the cost for the project at about $165,000 and looking for donations of money, materials and labor, they have already secured assistance from Westfield Technical Academy and its building trades department, which will manufacture the Civil War era shutters for the building. Westfield City Council approved the funds to convert the school into a museum.
Duncun, a carpenter by trade, was instrumental in identifying materials that will be needed to restore the wooden structure. Patterson said the project will include restoration of blackboards in the building as well as the stove and student desks that remain. Fogg, who researched the history of the building, noted that the existing schoolhouse, built in 1861, is not the original schoolhouse to serve the neighborhood. The original school was located about 400 yards south of the present location. It is one of the last remaining one-room schoolhouses in Western Massachusetts to be renovated. Custody, care, management and control of the schoolhousewas officially turned over to the Commission with a vote of the Westfield City Council. The School Committee previously voted to deem the school surplus property so the Historic Commission could take it over. The Historical Commission plans to refurbish the school, making it a museum, similar to the Dewey House, helping Westfield’s elementary school children understand education from the 19th century.. The building would be used for education purposes for area students and may be open for public visitors. To help the efforts, City Councilors Dan Allie and Matt Emmershy gifted three vintage school desks dating from the 1860’s to 1920’s to the Westfield Historical Commission.
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