Cataumet Schoolhouse – Then & Now

By CHRISTINE LYNCH

The One-Classroom

County Road was the north-south thoroughfare for Cataumet, albeit for horses and carriages, when school children first scampered through the doors of the little one-room schoolhouse. There are two doors, separate entrances—one for the boys and the other for girls. However, after they hung up their coats, they all mingled together inside the small classroom space. It is a simple room with windows on three sides and a wood stove that was stoked on chilly days from the generous wood pile outside. No doubt, a student was designated to cart the armloads of kindling.

The 1894 building had classic late 19th-century schoolhouse architecture. It was built on the site of the previous schoolhouse, which first opened its doors in 1864. By 1893, though, that building needed extensive repairs, so it was sold and carted off to become a barn. This often was the fate of many one-room schoolhouses; they were knocked down or moved to become dwellings or fill another purpose.

To comment on the school’s history and its current incarnation, Kris Fisher, vice president on the Cataumet Schoolhouse Preservation Group board of directors, and Ben Joyce, a board member, sat in student desks in front of the solid teacher’s desk in the renovated schoolroom. They said that all local students were welcomed, and the student body reflected the ethnic makeup of the Cape, including Native Wampanoag, African Americans, and Portuguese. The numbers of students varied from year to year, sometimes as low as 11, but could grow to 30. The school “marm” who transitioned from the previous school building to the present one was Mary P. Hill, who earned $9 per week.  

At first, the Cataumet Schoolhouse comprised grades 1 through 8. Over time, that pared down to grades 1 through 6, and finally, 1 through 4. One telling comment about this was included in the town’s “Annual Report for 1909.” The entry noted that the “removal of the older students improved the work of the younger students and relieved the teachers ‘of much of that nervous exhaustion and physical strain which is a serious menace to good health and efficient work.’”

As further school district consolidation occurred, the Cataumet Schoolhouse doors were closed in 1930. Mr. Joyce explained, “It was the automobile.” By that era, automobiles and buses were commonplace, driving many towns to merge their schools. Students were transported to the new larger buildings, which offered improved space for every grade, making the quaint one-room schoolhouses obsolete.

Fortunately, the Cataumet building did not stay shuttered for good, although it went unused until 1936. That year, it opened as a community center for the area. Tennis courts were installed in the 1940s, initially with a clay surface. This incarnation lasted until 1960, when, again, its doors closed. The emptied space was turned into a storage shed for Bourne Public Schools equipment. The building might have remained underused if it wasn’t for the visionary thinking of some local residents who formed The Cataumet Schoolhouse Preservation Group (CSPG).

Saving The Schoolhouse

This group became active after Ben Joyce took action to save the structure. At that time, the Bourne Historic Commission wanted to move the building over to its Bourne Village campus. Mr. Joyce disagreed. He said, “I grew up near the school, playing baseball on the field in the back and tennis on the court in front of the old school building.” He recalled being upset that Bourne would think to move the school. Feeling strongly that the schoolhouse belonged to Cataumet and should remain there, he drew up a petition and in January 1999, walked it around the village getting signatures and support. 

The CSPG soon followed, and it leased the structure in 1999. Members rolled up their sleeves to begin fundraising, carpentry work, removing the paint from the blackboards, restoring floor boards, even recreating the outdoor privy (one side for females, one for males) and woodshed.

Three original drop leaf desks were discovered and remain with the building. One of them sports the initials “ER” carved into it. Naturally, speculation was raised over who ER might have been. The CSPG tracked down similar desks from that period and lined them up in rows. Other authentic furnishings were donated. Mr. Joyce said, “It was a big push over six to eight months.” It didn’t hurt that retired teachers were among the volunteers helping the efforts. They gave their time, energy, and skills to craft the history of this living museum. And the CSPG continues to monitor and maintain the building and grounds.

Much of the historic structure was intact, but neglected and nearly ruined. For instance, the sturdy 1890 blackboards were slathered over with wall paint. The boards were not real slate. Instead, Mr. Joyce, a professional painter, said they were “carbon black mixed with extra hard plaster. This was skim-coated over base plaster giving it the attributes of a blackboard.” Several boards cover the walls around the classroom because each grade needed a designated work space.

The CSPG also wanted to top the school with a new belfry and bell. The former belfry was destroyed in a 1940s storm and never replaced. The CSPG successfully recreated the belfry by studying old photos. Then they hunted for a school bell dating from the years when the schoolhouse was open. Research revealed that the 1894 schoolhouse went without any bell until 1912. That year, town records show the bell was purchased from Sears, Roebuck & Co. at a cost of $7.52. It turns out the school bells back then were required to be a particular diameter. Mr. Joyce explained, “School bells had to be certain size, smaller than a church bell, so it would give a different tone.”

With help from the Bourne Society of Historic Preservation, the CSPG found an antique bell and affixed it to the belfry in 2003. Fittingly, it was the same model from Sears, Roebuck & Co. as the old bell, which beckoned students all those many years ago. One of those Cataumet students was Emma Clements, born in 1911, the daughter of a sea captain. She shared a colorful memory with the CSPG:  one day she heard the school bell ringing mid-morning and wondered what it was. She soon learned the bell was ringing to announce the end of World War I.

Thanks to the meticulous renovation and upkeep, the schoolhouse earned its listing on the National Register of Historic Places on August 15, 2019.

Once the renovation was complete, the CSPG opened the doors for visitors. “When we first reopened, we heard from 15 or 20 people who attended one-room schoolhouses, but that’s dropped to zero over the years,” mentioned Mr. Joyce.

Community Programs

The CSPG’s mission statement reads, “To promote as a location for educational, cultural and recreational activities available to the community and the general public, the Cataumet Schoolhouse building.” The board of trustees seeks to keep the building as a lively venue for educational programs, inspiring talks, and stimulating community events.

Ms. Fisher said, “First, the events and fundraisers were on the small side, but they grew over the years.” Now, the annual antique car show and picnic, first held in 2008, is something people look forward to each fall. The Tuesday Talks in August series draws crowds to every interesting presentation.

The schoolroom takes center stage for a history program for 3rd graders in the Bourne Public Schools. Each year, members of the schoolhouse board of directors visit their classrooms to talk about the schoolhouse’s history. Then, the students take a field trip to the school site, sitting at the wooden desks, getting a chance to ring the belfry bell, and experiencing the history firsthand.

Recently, the board introduced a STEM series called Science in the Schoolhouse, held on Sundays in May. And, in December, a Holiday Open House features gingerbread house decorating. Ms. Fisher enjoys offering programs geared for kids. “We have a schoolhouse; so let’s make it about children.”  

 

2024 Calendar of Events

At the Cataumet Schoolhouse, 1200 County Road, Cataumet, MA

Sundays, from 2 to 3:30 PM: Science at the Schoolhouse

May 5: Electricity & Magnetism Fun experiments for kids/grownups

May 19:  Optics

May 26: Astronomy

Tuesday Talks in August at 7 PM at the Schoolhouse

August 6: “Why Travel?” With Jim Beyer

August 13: “Mornings on the Canal, the Beauty and Entertaining Sights With Bill Prodouz

August 20: “The Real Story Behind the Plymouth Colony” With Doug Blake

August 27: “Eleanor Roosevelt” With Sheryl Faye

Saturday, September 7: Antique Auto Show and Picnic from Noon to 4 PM (Rain date: Sunday, September 8)  

Thursday, October 24: Annual Meeting at 6 PM and Potluck Supper at 7 PM  Everyone is welcome!

Saturday, December 7: Creating Gingerbread Houses Children’s Event

For more information,
check out the website at
www.cataumetschoolhouse.org