The one-room schoolhouse at 72 Plumtrees Road in Bethel was built in 1867 on land donated by Eliza Benedict (1820-1899). It served the Plumtrees District, one of the town’s five school districts at the time. The building was enlarged and a cupola and bell were added in 1881. The school was closed for renovations in 1957 and for the first time electricity and indoor plumbing were installed. The building reopened in 1962 as an elementary school and remained open until 1970. It was then used by the Visiting Nurse Association as a children’s health care clinic. A commission to preserve the school was formed in 2006. Today, the building is owned by the town of Bethel and the Plumtrees School Association has a historical easement to maintain it as an educational museum.
