Related numerous times in past articles, if new information came to light it would be noted in future articles. Such is the case with the article last week District #19 - Puckerville. This writer received a phone call from Harris ManWarren local Norwich resident asking the source of information relevant to two students at this long lost school. Those students were Alvin and Geraldine Mainwaring at that time age 5 and 7, respectively. I acknowledged my source of information to him he proceeded to advise that over the years since his ancestors had emigrated from England, that the name of Mainwaring had been changed no less than 130 times eventually evolving to the spelling of his last name. Interesting bit of genealogy to say the least!
To continue long series of the history of the Guilford District schools (you may be assured that the end of Guilford District school history is near) we take a look at the 1875 Atlas of Chenango County and the district is listed at #16, however when Walter Ubele wrote his extensive documentation of the churches and schools of Guilford, the district had been combined with Oxford and it became District #19.
As this writer has only documented what Mr. Ubele wrote, it is quoted verbatim in the following paragraphs:
“Nestled in the hilly country, in a hollow somewhat Northeast of Guilford Center, there was another of the One-Room Schoolhouses. Like the original North Guilford School, this school also split town lines. (Note: Combined town district schools were usually the result of lack of scholars for one township to support a school.) The actual school district was one of the Guilford Districts, but the schoolhouse itself, was in the Township of Oxford, over the line.
“Although the school became known as the Virginia School, it was now located on the Virginia Road. A short by-pass ran between the Old Virginia Road, and what is now the New Virginia Road. The schoolhouse was located on this by-pass, midway between the two main roads. One road continued to Oxford, the other ran to North Pond. (Note: If one cared to explore the area, it might be possible to find the remnants of this road.)
“The only mention of this school prior to the 1890s was on a point marked ‘school’ on a map of Greater Guilford. The only thing for sure was that the little schoolhouse was going strong in the later 19th century and early 20th century. During the school year of 1895-96, there was a teacher in the school. However, there was only a small amount of pupils. An interview with a former Guilford teacher, still living in the Hamlet of Guilford, brought out some very interesting fact about the School System, and this particular school during the early 1900’s.
“Although the pupils or students of the Virginia School were few in number, the school played an integral part of t he life of the small community served by this School District. Students from Oxford Town mingled with students from Guilford Town in the small school. At one time there only six students in the entire school! One of these was an orphan from the Midwest who came to live with her grandparents on their farm.
“Although the District Schools were often the Social Center of the area, the students by no means spent all their time on fun and games. The schools were closely regulated and had to abide by certain standards. There were also subjected to periodic inspection by the Superintendent of Schools. Up to and including the Seventh Grade, the curriculum was as varied as any elementary school. However, the main curriculum consisted of the three “R’s; Readin’, Ritin’ and Rithmetic.” There were lessons a-plenty. Lessons that were learned! There were few, if any, illiterates in Guilford during the first half of the 20th Century.
“With the emphasis on the three “R’s”, there was still time for entertainment. At various times during the year, there were parties in the school, with trips to nearby schools and to Town. There was also the usual year-end picnic. An interesting photo of one such picnic shows more adults than children (not included in article.)
“Among the teachers at the Virginia School, was a Miss Bertha Wade, now Mrs. Bertha Tanner. Young Miss Wade went to school in District #14 (future article), from which she graduated with enough high marks to be eligible for the local State Examination. She easily qualified as a District School Teacher. This meant she could teach at any one of the ‘Little Red Schoolhouses,’ a position roughly equivalent to an Elementary School Teacher, today. The District School Teachers were licensed to teach up to and including 7th grade. Like many others who graduated from Guilford Schools, she returned to the hometown and taught in one or more of the District Schools.
“Another graduate of Guilford School who came home to teach was Ono Bradley. Miss Bradley is the aunt of Archie Hubbard, the curator of the Eastern, Fayette, Guilford Museum, a contributor to the History of Guilford. (Note: This museum is no longer in existence.) Miss Bradley auto taught in the Old Virginia School in the Northwestern part of Guilford. Her sister, Mr. Hubbard’s mother, was also a Guilford teacher. (Note: Mrs. Hubbard taught at South Hill.)
“Bertha Wade received her license, and taught in three of the local District Schools. Her first teaching assignment was in the Virginia School in the School year of 1918-1919. She also taught in the Winsor’s Corners School, 1919. She then went to the Trestle School for half year in 1920. The summer of 1920, she left off teaching and went on for further education. She attended what then called Normal School. The Normal Schools became a Teacher Training Schools, and finally Teacher’s Colleges. Bertha Wade then left Guilford for a spell and taught higher grades elsewhere.
“During the years when Bertha Wade was still attending school in Guilford, another young teenager was also a student. Howard Tanner attended Virginia School, acting as sort of a Custodian. He kept the coal scuttle full, cleaned and oiled the lamps, and kept the building clean and in good repair. All this while a student at the School. He was fourteen years old at the time.
“There is something about the Old Home Town that draws some people back, even after many years. (Note: How true is the above statement.) In the case of Bertha Wade, School Teacher, there was something more to draw her back. She was ready to settle down after her stint outside of Guilford. She and Howard Tanner, the former student/custodian of the school where Bertha Wade later taught, married and settled down in the Village. Mrs. Tanner, a widow, still lives on Merchant Street in the little Hamlet of Guilford.” (Yet another note: Bear in mind Mr. Ubele wrote this documentation I believe the early 1980s.”

This concludes the history of The Virginia School and the photo which accompanies this article which is dated 1915 lists the teacher (fourth from left) as Miss Ono Bradley, the aunt of Archie Hubbard now residing in Norwich. We regret that the students were not named, but as the saying goes, “you cannot have everything.”
If the school registers ever surface for this long gone district school, a lot of “mysteries of history” would be solved!
Closing this latest chapter in this series of “Schools of the Past” this writer takes the liberty of extending to every reader of The Evening Sun a Happy and Prosperous New Year. To be continued in 2012!