Focus on Buxton Center
Saturday, September 12, at 3:30 p.m.
To preserve means “to keep safe from injury, harm, or destruction “ and “to keep alive, intact, or free from decay ,” according to the venerable and reliable Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Rising to this challenge, members of the Buxton-Hollis Historical Society are dedicated to protecting and to maintaining historical “places that matter” in the two communities. Two long term projects that have been part of this effort will be highlighted at Buxton Center on Saturday, September 12th.
N.C. Watson School
The N.C. Watson School has a handsome new sign that will also be dedicated at Buxton Center on September 12th. The sign was designed by Mr. Anthony Taylor with guidance from the N.C. Watson School Committee. Mr. Taylor subcontracted the building of the sign and painted and lettered it, (a painstaking process). He also supervised its installation.
The last one room school in Buxton that was still in its original form as a schoolhouse, the N.C. Watson School was originally located in the Chicopee section of Buxton. It was built in 1900 and served the elementary schoolchildren of that area of Buxton until it was closed in 1942. For many years after its retirement as a school house the Chicopee Fire Department and others used it for various activities. Eventually through disuse, it deteriorated to the point of abandonment by the Fire Department.
The Buxton-Hollis Historical Society was able to save the building from destruction by forming a School House Committee. Louis Emery, Chairman of the committee, arranged for BHHS to take ownership of the building from the Town of Buxton and to effect the enormous undertaking of moving it across town to its present location and restoring it. Mr. Emery had attended a similar school himself, as had many of the project’s supporters. Lucille Emery, his wife, had been a teacher. It was she who wrote a sample curriculum for the one room school museum.
This venture was successful because of the cooperation between BHHS, the Town of Buxton, Mr. Anthony Taylor, MSAD #6 and Narragansett Number One Foundation which generously responded to a grant request from BHHS for funding to move the building. Volunteers and contractors contributed time and labor to the enormous task of putting the building back together in spite of what some might have considered insurmountable repairs. The particular location was made possible by a fortuitous combination of land owned by Mr. Anthony Taylor joined by lease to that of adjacent MSAD #6 property. Of course, many Chicopee residents were saddened to have the building relocated outside of the village where it had stood for a hundred years.
N.C. Watson School again serves the Town of Buxton and beyond as a slice of history in its new role as an interactive museum. Mrs. Lucille Emery, a retired teacher, has developed an interesting curriculum for one-room teaching, adjusting the same study topics to each grade level so that they can be taught simultaneously. Many community members have donated slate blackboards and old books, pictures (George Washington and Abraham Lincoln) and old-fashioned desks with inkwells, to authenticate the interior. A recent addition was the old (non-working) stove from the former Buxton Town Hall, which was also located at Buxton Center. Although schoolchildren are invited to visit so that they can experience the peculiarities of school life a hundred years ago, for some visitors N.C. Watson School provides a nostalgic return to their own childhood learning experiences in a one room schoolhouse. Pay a visit to the N.C. Watson School and then go to its neighbor, Buxton Center Elementary School. Contemplate the difference.
The last one room school in Buxton that was still in its original form as a schoolhouse, the N.C. Watson School was originally located in the Chicopee section of Buxton. It was built in 1900 and served the elementary schoolchildren of that area of Buxton until it was closed in 1942. For many years after its retirement as a school house the Chicopee Fire Department and others used it for various activities. Eventually through disuse, it deteriorated to the point of abandonment by the Fire Department.
The Buxton-Hollis Historical Society was able to save the building from destruction by forming a School House Committee. Louis Emery, Chairman of the committee, arranged for BHHS to take ownership of the building from the Town of Buxton and to effect the enormous undertaking of moving it across town to its present location and restoring it. Mr. Emery had attended a similar school himself, as had many of the project’s supporters. Lucille Emery, his wife, had been a teacher. It was she who wrote a sample curriculum for the one room school museum.
This venture was successful because of the cooperation between BHHS, the Town of Buxton, Mr. Anthony Taylor, MSAD #6 and Narragansett Number One Foundation which generously responded to a grant request from BHHS for funding to move the building. Volunteers and contractors contributed time and labor to the enormous task of putting the building back together in spite of what some might have considered insurmountable repairs. The particular location was made possible by a fortuitous combination of land owned by Mr. Anthony Taylor joined by lease to that of adjacent MSAD #6 property. Of course, many Chicopee residents were saddened to have the building relocated outside of the village where it had stood for a hundred years.
N.C. Watson School again serves the Town of Buxton and beyond as a slice of history in its new role as an interactive museum. Mrs. Lucille Emery, a retired teacher, has developed an interesting curriculum for one-room teaching, adjusting the same study topics to each grade level so that they can be taught simultaneously. Many community members have donated slate blackboards and old books, pictures (George Washington and Abraham Lincoln) and old-fashioned desks with inkwells, to authenticate the interior. A recent addition was the old (non-working) stove from the former Buxton Town Hall, which was also located at Buxton Center. Although schoolchildren are invited to visit so that they can experience the peculiarities of school life a hundred years ago, for some visitors N.C. Watson School provides a nostalgic return to their own childhood learning experiences in a one room schoolhouse. Pay a visit to the N.C. Watson School and then go to its neighbor, Buxton Center Elementary School. Contemplate the difference.
Elden Store
The Elden Store was a prime example of “repurposing” buildings long before this term entered the jargon of people who frugally find new uses for old things. Built in 1802 by Nathan Elden, initially it was indeed Elden’s Store (and sometimes post office): a gathering place at the Center’s four corners where people could find provisions, catch up on the local gossip, and perhaps informally arrange business transactions.
When the railroads came into Buxton and the depot was built down the road, the entrepreneurial Mr. Samuel D. Hanson, a tailor by trade, took advantage of the opportunities offered by the Civil War and started up a manufacturing operation that helped clothe the Union Army. Mr. Hanson purchased and converted Elden Store for his new business, and the Hanson Coat Factory became very prosperous. Perhaps part of the reason for this was that he initiated modern business practices. The sewing machine had not been widely accepted when he first began, but Mr. Hanson invested in machines very early and taught his employees how to use them. He also incorporated the practice of “outsourcing” piecework to women in the area, a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Meanwhile, the original Buxton High School (1888-1912) was located nearby. It outlived its usefulness and the Town found it necessary to build a new high school. The new school was located across the road and up the hill; it was built in 1913. In 1915, Mr. Zenus Hanson made an irresistible offer to the Town to help finance the new school. He would give Buxton $5,000, but there were two stipulations if the Town accepted his gift. The first was that the school must be named for his brother, Samuel D. Hanson. The second was that if the school was no longer used for educational purposes, the Town of Buxton must forward the $5,000 gift to the American Baptist Mission Society. The Town of Buxton gratefully accepted the $5,000, agreeing to Mr. Hanson’s two stipulations. In March of 1930, this new high school burned to its foundation and by December of 1930, a replacement (the third Buxton High School), also called Samuel D. Hanson High School, was erected on the same site. The Town of Buxton retained the $5,000 gift.
Recently, however, the third and final Samuel D. Hanson School has been abandoned by its current owner, MSAD #6. The building was offered back to Buxton but the voters rejected spending $68,000 to study its feasibility for use as a community center by a margin of nine votes. Interest by two groups wanting to either purchase the building or lease it were rejected by MSAD 6 and the Buxton Select people have recently condemned the building by executive order, allowing MSAD #6 to schedule demolition in September of 2015. The Town of Buxton still retains the $5,000 gift from Zenus Hanson.
Meanwhile, during this long period of concurrent history with Samuel D. Hanson High School, the old Elden Store was being used and reused. After the manufacturing enterprise ended, it was again a store and a post office. Elden Store has been a place for the “Aggie” or Agricultural Education Department of Samuel D. Hanson High School in the 1940's and a storage repository for the then new industrial arts program begun at Bonny Eagle High School in 1961 . It has also housed both the Buxton Police Department, a doctor’s office, and, most recently, the Buxton Emergency Management Agency (EMA).
Unfortunately the interior spaces suffered from changes made by these varied tenants, both public and private, and their differing needs. Concerned about the future of this historic building, the Buxton-Hollis Historical Society requested that MSAD #6 give the building back to the Town of Buxton, which it did, with the stipulation that it was to be used for historical purposes. The Town leased the second floor and the attic of the building to BHHS. It was used as a meeting place for the Society from 1970 to the mid-1990’s, at which time the Society moved across the street to the old Buxton Town Hall. BHHS allows the Boy Scouts to use the space for their activities. Elden Store was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
As part of its mission to restore the outside of Elden Store, the Buxton-Hollis Historical Society wrote a grant to Narragansett Number One Foundation specifically to develop a landscape plan that would complement the age of the building. Theresa Mattor, a landscape architect with a particular interest in historic gardens, has designed an outdoor space that reflects shrubs and trees typically used in the early nineteenth century. The Town of Buxton has provided labor and equipment as their regular responsibilities have allowed, preparing the area, moving granite, and planting trees.
Perhaps the most meaningful component of the Elden Store restoration project, however, is the “keeping alive” part of the definition of preservation. This is what we are celebrating: contributions of shrubs and trees which community members (and others) have donated in memory of their loved ones. Each memorial will be honored with a metal marker framing a typed inscription.
Sadly, this past winter the interior basement of Elden Store sustained water damage and needs repair before it can be used again. The EMA has moved out with the exception of their repeater for the attached tower. Several community needs are in the discussion stage, but as far as BHHS knows, no firm plans have been made for use of the vacated space. However, it is clear that the old building remains an integral part of Buxton and continues to serve as a reminder of the once bustling industrial center of Buxton.
The hundred years that have passed began with stage coaches delivering mail and farmers driving their horse and wagons up to the store for provisions and news. Now modern communication equipment and towers have replaced the need for granite hitching posts. No matter what use is found next for the inside of the building, however, this peaceful garden and the lovely restored brick exterior remind us that history is worth preserving.
When the railroads came into Buxton and the depot was built down the road, the entrepreneurial Mr. Samuel D. Hanson, a tailor by trade, took advantage of the opportunities offered by the Civil War and started up a manufacturing operation that helped clothe the Union Army. Mr. Hanson purchased and converted Elden Store for his new business, and the Hanson Coat Factory became very prosperous. Perhaps part of the reason for this was that he initiated modern business practices. The sewing machine had not been widely accepted when he first began, but Mr. Hanson invested in machines very early and taught his employees how to use them. He also incorporated the practice of “outsourcing” piecework to women in the area, a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Meanwhile, the original Buxton High School (1888-1912) was located nearby. It outlived its usefulness and the Town found it necessary to build a new high school. The new school was located across the road and up the hill; it was built in 1913. In 1915, Mr. Zenus Hanson made an irresistible offer to the Town to help finance the new school. He would give Buxton $5,000, but there were two stipulations if the Town accepted his gift. The first was that the school must be named for his brother, Samuel D. Hanson. The second was that if the school was no longer used for educational purposes, the Town of Buxton must forward the $5,000 gift to the American Baptist Mission Society. The Town of Buxton gratefully accepted the $5,000, agreeing to Mr. Hanson’s two stipulations. In March of 1930, this new high school burned to its foundation and by December of 1930, a replacement (the third Buxton High School), also called Samuel D. Hanson High School, was erected on the same site. The Town of Buxton retained the $5,000 gift.
Recently, however, the third and final Samuel D. Hanson School has been abandoned by its current owner, MSAD #6. The building was offered back to Buxton but the voters rejected spending $68,000 to study its feasibility for use as a community center by a margin of nine votes. Interest by two groups wanting to either purchase the building or lease it were rejected by MSAD 6 and the Buxton Select people have recently condemned the building by executive order, allowing MSAD #6 to schedule demolition in September of 2015. The Town of Buxton still retains the $5,000 gift from Zenus Hanson.
Meanwhile, during this long period of concurrent history with Samuel D. Hanson High School, the old Elden Store was being used and reused. After the manufacturing enterprise ended, it was again a store and a post office. Elden Store has been a place for the “Aggie” or Agricultural Education Department of Samuel D. Hanson High School in the 1940's and a storage repository for the then new industrial arts program begun at Bonny Eagle High School in 1961 . It has also housed both the Buxton Police Department, a doctor’s office, and, most recently, the Buxton Emergency Management Agency (EMA).
Unfortunately the interior spaces suffered from changes made by these varied tenants, both public and private, and their differing needs. Concerned about the future of this historic building, the Buxton-Hollis Historical Society requested that MSAD #6 give the building back to the Town of Buxton, which it did, with the stipulation that it was to be used for historical purposes. The Town leased the second floor and the attic of the building to BHHS. It was used as a meeting place for the Society from 1970 to the mid-1990’s, at which time the Society moved across the street to the old Buxton Town Hall. BHHS allows the Boy Scouts to use the space for their activities. Elden Store was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
As part of its mission to restore the outside of Elden Store, the Buxton-Hollis Historical Society wrote a grant to Narragansett Number One Foundation specifically to develop a landscape plan that would complement the age of the building. Theresa Mattor, a landscape architect with a particular interest in historic gardens, has designed an outdoor space that reflects shrubs and trees typically used in the early nineteenth century. The Town of Buxton has provided labor and equipment as their regular responsibilities have allowed, preparing the area, moving granite, and planting trees.
Perhaps the most meaningful component of the Elden Store restoration project, however, is the “keeping alive” part of the definition of preservation. This is what we are celebrating: contributions of shrubs and trees which community members (and others) have donated in memory of their loved ones. Each memorial will be honored with a metal marker framing a typed inscription.
Sadly, this past winter the interior basement of Elden Store sustained water damage and needs repair before it can be used again. The EMA has moved out with the exception of their repeater for the attached tower. Several community needs are in the discussion stage, but as far as BHHS knows, no firm plans have been made for use of the vacated space. However, it is clear that the old building remains an integral part of Buxton and continues to serve as a reminder of the once bustling industrial center of Buxton.
The hundred years that have passed began with stage coaches delivering mail and farmers driving their horse and wagons up to the store for provisions and news. Now modern communication equipment and towers have replaced the need for granite hitching posts. No matter what use is found next for the inside of the building, however, this peaceful garden and the lovely restored brick exterior remind us that history is worth preserving.