Vergennes Schoolhouse

The town of Vergennes, Vermont built the schoolhouse about 1840 on land leased from General Samuel Strong, a War of 1812 officer and descendant of one of Addison County’s first families.

In the terms of the lease Strong stipulated that the town pay him an annual rent of one kernel of Indian corn and use the property for educational purposes.

[1] The schoolhouse, although built at the height of Greek Revival’s popularity, reflects an amalgamation of architectural styling.

Moderate classical elements include the arched door, sash windows, and projecting bell tower, while the split-gable and octagonal shape of the bell tower’s cupola reflect 19th-century Eclecticism that developed as local builders and craftsmen freely combined elements from different architectural styles.

[1] One-room schools were commonplace throughout rural portions of the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

There, a single teacher taught academic basics to five to eight grade levels of elementary-age boys and girls.

[2] Schools were only open a few months a year and consisted of winter and summer sessions (usually December–March and then mid-May to August).

Students recited the alphabet, the definitions of spelling words, the rules of grammar, arithmetic facts, and long prose passages.