By Lisa Hawk
While doing some reading about more schools that were in the Fall Creek Township and Middletown areas I found some information to update my original Central School research that I had done last year.
Before the Central School building, built with brick, there was a two story wooden school structure on the same land.
This original Central School was built in 1857 and was the only two story school at the time. The school was 25 feet by 40 feet. It was recorded as costing $1800 to build plus $100 for the land.
Prior to this, a small one room school on the corner of sixth street was used. This two story building was on the corner of Seventh Street and Columbia Avenue here in Middletown.
The two story Central School was used for thirty one years. At that time, Middletown was growing and a new school was needed.
The new Central School was built on the same site at Seventh Street and Columbia Avenue in 1888. At that time, the old one room school was moved to the corner of the lot to be sold at auction.
The first day of the auction, there were no bidders, and it was assumed the old building was doomed for demolition or to be used as a tool shed. The bids were scheduled again, and finally the building was sold and moved away.
Below is one of the photos I was able to locate showing the two story school and one of its classes of children.
References
School Memories, Middletown & fall Creek Township, printed by the Middletown News.
Google Maps, location services.
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