Part of this structure was Naskeag Schoolhouse No. 1 – the 19th Century part with the symmetrical roof and nice tucked- back roof ends (known as “cornice returns” or “eaves returns”). The shed attached to the structure’s left side apparently was added sometime after the schoolhouse closed in 1937, when the building was converted into an automobile repair garage. Axles replaced axioms.
I haven’t been able to pin down exactly when this schoolhouse was built, but records indicate that Brooklin had nine one-room schoolhouses in 1849 and this may have been one. By 1900, the schoolhouses were numbered 1 through 9, and this one apparently was included. Why so many schools? So children could walk to school from home.
There was no electricity originally in these schools; students read by sunlight and kerosene lamp light. A wood-burning stove provided heat and parents originally contributed stove wood until the Town budgeted for that expense. Due to the lack of regular transportation, teachers often lodged in nearby homes and also walked to school.
The International truck to the right of the structure also appears to have some age on it, based on its headlights. I wonder if it was built before 1986, when International Harvester Company became Navistar International. (Image taken in Brooklin, Maine, on February 20, 2024.)