For many years, the teachers and staff at Port Colden School watched the Old Port Colden Schoolhouse sit vacant and deteriorating. We were not surprised when the Board of Education began talking about the need to tear it down due to it becoming a liability and the need for more parking around our school.
Since my classroom was located directly across from the Old Schoolhouse, I often had my third grade students ask me about it. I found they loved to hear about what school life was like in the 1800's. Once I saw their enthusiasm, I began to investigate more and more just what the story was behind the schoolhouse. Since I learned that the old schoolhouse was built during the time the Morris Canal was in existence, plus was built right next to the canal basin, my research had to go further into the history of the Morris Canal. From there we learned that the little village of Port Colden had been a very important place on the canal. I even learned that my own father, Mr. Paul Schrepple, attended the old schoolhouse during his fourth grade year, the last year that the schoolhouse was used as a school. Throughout this whole study, I kept teaching the children what I was learning and they got more and more excited to learn about the history of the community in which they attend school. I realized the value of being able to teach social studies through the use of historic buildings and landmarks. History was coming alive for them and they were obviously excited.
Eventually a part of the lessons included the development of a "History of Port Colden" booklet in which groups of children would research and write reports about different buildings and landmarks in Port Colden. Then we would culminate the study with a program for the parents where we would share what we had learned while dressed up as if we were attending school in the old schoolhouse. When weather permitted we would have our program on the steps of the old schoolhouse.
Therefore, when I heard that the Board of Education was investigating tearing the schoolhouse down, Ms. Marie Roberts, Principal at Port Colden, and I appealed to Mr. John Frey, our superintendent. Thank goodness he shared our belief about the value of preserving buildings that we could relate to the history of our community. He was able to show the Board of Education that it would be cost effective in the long run to save the building through state grants, and then someday be able to use it for school related needs - possibly a library for Port Colden and/or district administrative offices. Mr. John Frey has taken the project under his wing and has run with it ever since. He and the Board hired Dennis Bertland Associates to develop the Historic Structures Report (May, 1999) and the project has taken off from there. Mr. Frey recently retired from our district but has agreed to stay involved with the project now that it is well on its way to becoming a beautifully restored historical building. Also, as our new superintendent, Dr. Janet Razze came on board, she immediately got excited and involved in continuing the project.
Therefore, I believe we have reached our goal of saving and preserving the building, no matter how long the actual work takes to complete. By December, 2002, Phase I - Building Structure and Envelope should be complete. We have watched the new roof and belfry be replaced, the broken bricks replaced and repointing done. Windows and doors are being made and will be replaced before winter. Phases II and III, interior work and groundswork, may need to be put on hold until there is grant money available.
Our most recent project has been to take the information we had been learning and use it to produce this website. To do this, one of our third grade teachers, Ms. Judy Bolmer and our computer teacher, Mrs. Michele Cooper became my partners. Ms. Bolmer's class did the research and the reports while the three of us ran around taking the "now" pictures and developing the information for the website. Fortunately for us, we were then able to collaborate with our local technical school. We became involved in a county-wide technology project, which our technology coordinator, Mrs. Valerie Mattes, was leading. She, along with the help from Mrs. Cooper and Mrs. Denise Weston from the Warren County Technical School, have done most of the work on the actual website. Our computer expert, Mr. Mark Flumerfelt, has been available for consultation, as we needed it. I thank them all. I also would like to thank all the former and present residents who have provided me with pictures, articles and information, some first hand, about what Port Colden and the old schoolhouse were like in the early part of the century when the canal was in existence. Thank you. Ms. Roberts and I are so very appreciative of all the help and support we have received to pull this project together.
We hope you enjoy it, learn from it and develop a further appreciation for the history that we must preserve in our communities, county, state and country.
We are always looking for more pictures and information. Please feel free to contact us if you have anything at all or wish to make a donation. Thank you.