Historic Buildings of Connecticut

Exploring the Nutmeg State One Building at a Time

Schools

Humiston School (1912)

The predecessor to the Humiston School in Cheshire opened in 1894 and served as the town’s high school until 1906, when it closed due to dwindling enrollment and a lack of funding. The old building was razed in 1911 and a new school was erected in 1912, with financial support from Miss Julia Ann Humiston. She did not live to see the opening of the school, which was named for father Daniel Humiston. The school closed in 1971 and the building has since been used as school administration offices as as an alternative high school for approximately 15 to 30 students per year.

31 Chaplin Street, Chaplin (1830)

The building at 31 Chaplin Street in Chaplin is an interesting composite structure, made up of what were once three separate buildings. They were brought together to form the current house in 1936. The earliest section was a mercantile store, erected between 1830 and 1832 by Edward Eaton. The next section was a tin shop, erected in the 1840s. It was operated by Alexander Dorrance, who most likely used the store building as his residence. The largest part of the current building was built as a school house, c. 1850. When these three buildings were joined, the school section was raised to be two stories, thus giving the completed structure a classic saltbox profile. The building is described under the heading “Rindge-Dorrance Tin Shop, c. 1840” on p. 15 of the pamphlet Historic Homes of Chaplin Village, by Johanne Philbrick. It is listed in the Chaplin Historic District as “Eaton’s Store” with a date of 1850.

Plumtrees School (1867)

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.

Canton Center Schoolhouse (1849)

The first schoolhouse in Canton Center, called the Old Red School, was built in 1749. It was used until 1847, when it was moved to Collinsville and became a saloon. The building of a replacement was delayed by an argument over where to place the new school. The district was therefore divided into the Center and South Center districts. The South Center School House was built across the street from the Canton Center Congregational Church in 1848. The Center (also known as the North Center or Sisson) District School was erected in 1849 at 135 West Road. The schoolhouse was in used until 1942, when the Cherry Brook School was opened. The old school was then converted into a five-room residence by Mortimer R. Bristol (1892-1972).

Norwich Town School (1895)

The Administrative Offices of the Norwich Public Schools are located at 90 Town Street in a building that was originally the Norwich Town School. According to the city assessor’s record, it was built in 1895. 90 Town Street was also the home lot of Major John Mason. With his son-in-law, Rev. James Fitch, Mason led a group of settlers from Saybrook to found Norwich in 1659. (more…)

West Broad Street School (1900)

The West Broad Street School, located at 131 West Beoad Street in Pawcatuck, was built c. 1900. It was one of the last district schools to be built in the Town of Stonington. It cost about $40,000 at the time. In 2015, it housed 133 students in grades three and four.

Choate Rosemary Hall: Paul Mellon Arts Center (1972)

A dramatic example of Modern architecture on the campus of Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford is the private school’s Paul Mellon Arts Center, also called the PMAC. Designed by I. M. Pei, it was completed in 1972. The western section of the building contains a 770-seat theater, while the eastern portion has fine arts studios, music classrooms, music practice rooms and a 100-seat recital hall. Connecting the two sections underground is the Chase-Bear Experimental Theater, known as the “Black Box.” In 2015, the School received a $10 million gift to renovate building, primarily the main stage theater, which was renamed the William T. Little ’49 and Frances A. Little Theater in honor of the donors.