Avon’s 1865 Pine Grove Schoolhouse Open for Tourist Season in May
Public invited to open house, Sunday, May 5 from 1:00 – 4:00pm volunteer greeters needed
Open House
1865 Pine Grove Schoolhouse • 3 Harris Rd, Avon, CT 06001
May 5, 2024 • 1 – 4 pm
1865 Pine Grove Schoolhouse
The Avon Historical Society welcomes the public to a family-friendly OPEN HOUSE of the 1865 Pine Grove Schoolhouse, 3 Harris Road (at the corner of West Avon Road/Route 167) on Sunday, May 5 from 1:00 – 4:00pm. After that it will be open to the public every Sunday through September. The Society invites anyone interested in volunteering to be a greeter for one Sunday this summer is encouraged to contact them.
The 1865 Pine Grove Schoolhouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of a district with four other properties. Each year since 1976 the Avon Historical Society has opened the building to the public for the summer tourist season. Volunteers act as “greeters” on Sundays in the summer. Sundays are available for anyone wishing to volunteer to greet visitors. Contact the Society at [email protected] or leave a message at 860-678-7621.
The Pine Grove Schoolhouse, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was built in 1865 as Schoolhouse No. 7 and is still standing on its original location. It is owned by the Town of Avon. It was in use as a school for 84 years until 1949. It then became a nursery school, a branch of the town library, and meeting place for the Boy Scouts Explorer Troop 122. In accordance with a long-term lease from the Town of Avon, the Avon Historical Society restored the building in 1976 and interprets it as a schoolhouse of 1900 with bolted desks, hand slates, textbooks, and other educational memorabilia of the time.
“For the past 48 years (except during the pandemic), visitors have enjoyed learning about our local history and we encourage all residents to bring their family and friends this summer to see this lovely 19th century schoolhouse,” said Terri Wilson, president. During the pandemic, the Society installed a Little Free Library next to the schoolhouse that is available 24/7. Books for all ages are contained inside and everyone is welcome to take a book/share a book as they would like. In addition, a National Register of Historic Places roadside marker, donated by the William G. Pomeroy Foundation, was installed on the front of the property. The Pomeroy Foundation supports the celebration and preservation of community history through their roadside marker grant program nationwide.
Over the past fifteen years work has been ongoing on site. Thanks to foundations, local companies and private donors, the Society continues the upkeep of this wonderful historic treasure. For example, lead paint was remediated from the exterior in 2009 thanks to a grant from the former Farmington Savings Bank Foundation. The 100-year-old outhouse was restored and placed near its original location in 2012 thanks to a grant from J&A Construction. Locally quarried stone steps were added to the side door. Donations of a grant from CT Trust for Historic Preservation (now Preservation Connecticut), a local McDonald’s franchisee and very generous individual donors, 112 panes of 19th century glass were restored in the windows in 2014. All this was timed to have the building ready for its 150th birthday celebration in 2015 in which former students and their families enjoyed an afternoon of reminiscences and storytelling. In 2022, a donor funded the purchase of period appropriate electrical scone lighting similar to what was used early in the 20th century. Just last summer in 2023, the Society had the exterior painted white and the trim painted the original dark green.
For more information on this site and to watch a video about the schoolhouse and West Avon filmed during the pandemic, click here.
For those interested in local history and genealogy, they are encouraged to visit the Marian Hunter History Room at the Avon Free Public Library, 281 Country Club Road, by making an appointment at 860-673-9712.
Share your Avon Historical Society experiences with us by using #findingconnecticut on Instagram
Click here for the latest news at the Avon Historical Society
Click here for the latest events at the Avon Historical Society
Click here for the latest news in Avon
Click here for the upcoming events in Avon
Click here for the latest news in Hartford County
Click here for the upcoming events in Hartford County
Connecticut with us!
Get our news straight into your inbox daily
Stay connected with us on social media Facebook • Instagram • Threads • Tiktok Join our Redditcommunity
Share your Connecticut experiences with us by using #findingconnecticut on Instagram
Click here to return to Finding Connecticut’s home page
Looking for the latest news by region, topic and events
Latest news by region
Fairfield County • Hartford County • Litchfield County • Middlesex County • New Haven County • New London County• Tolland County • Windham County
Latest sports news by team
Hartford Wolf Pack • Hartford Yard Goats • Connecticut Sun • Norwich Sea Unicorns • Traveler Championship
2024 schedules
Hartford Wolf Pack • Hartford Yard Goats • Connecticut Sun • Norwich Sea Unicorns
Events my region
Fairfield County • Hartford County • Litchfield County • New Haven County • New London County • Middlesex County •Tolland County • Windham County
Events by interest
Art • Sports • Family Friendly • History • Concerts • Farmers’ Markets
Events by the month
January 2024 • February 2024 • March 2024 • April 2024 • May 2024 • June 2024 • July 2024 • August 2024• September 2024 • October 2024 • November 2024 • December 2024
Events by venue
College Street Music Hall • Space Ballroom • Westville Music Bowl • Wall Street Theater • Hartford Stage•The Bushnell • Goodspeed Opera House • Mohegan Sun