Friends of the Parkerville Schoolhouse
Meetings held 2nd Tuesday of month
7:00 pm at the Schoolhouse

Attend our Annual Open House
the first Sunday of November 1-4 pm

Please contact June Kennedy if planning to attend
978-692-8924

The Friends of the Parkerville Schoolhouse formed in 1989 with the vision of preserving this 1880 one-room schoolhouse as both a meeting place for townspeople and a living history classroom for local children. The Town of Westford accepted their proposal, provided that costs of renovation and maintenance would not be borne by the town.

Since then, the Friends have relied on the generosity of volunteers and donors, as well as fund-raising efforts, to maintain and improve the building. Since 1989, basic improvements have included indoor plumbing, a new roof, septic system and upgraded heating.

Recent accomplishments include a granite front step for easier access, ramp repair and complete exterior painting. A granite bench inscribed Alumni Garden graces the schoolyard entrance and features favorite flowers taken from the yards or the memories of the alumni. For conservation purposes,a retaining wall and extensive drainage system were installed at the site of the Friends' Garden in the south corner of the schoolyard. In addition, a new flag for the outside of the schoolhouse was purchased. The Westford Garden Club made a gift of a dwarf weeping cherry tree, which was placed in the keystone of the school's original well cover.

To re-create the atmosphere of an early schoolroom, the Friends have furnished the school with circa 1920s desks and memorabilia. Tape-recorded interviews were done with former students; their stories are a source of wonderful details for the Living History program. Archival scrapbooks featuring original class photos, report cards, penmanship papers and art work, along with a record of all the schoolmarms, have been completed. Also, documentation of the restoration is included.

Each year, the Friends conduct a town-wide mailing in October to solicit donations as well as volunteers for the on-going work of preserving the school. Although the town owns and insures the building, all projects at the schoolhouse are done at no cost to the town.

The Friends prepare the school each year for the Living History program "Old School Days." Twenty-five second or third-grade classes in period dress, as well as a home-schooled class, visit the classroom in a typical year. Friends of the Parkerville Schoolhouse serve as docent teachers for these special visits.