Pleasant Street Schoolhouse
This schoolhouse is one of the survivors of the seven district schools (of which it was the first) that once existed in New London. Its design is typical of early 1800 schoolhouses -- one classroom, hopefully with a stove, and an outer room for wood storage and coats. This particular school had the seats built into the floor itself. Seating about 30 students, the desks in the schoolhouse today are reproductions built from the pattern of the originals, with the front rows smaller and closer for young children and the back seats just a bit bigger for older, taller children. Every family paid a school tax but most of that meager income went for books and supplies. Many times, schoolhouses were picked up and moved when the population of "scholars" changed in a given community, resulting in some wear and tear and general disrepair.
This schoolhouse was located at the head of Pleasant Lake (the bottom of Pleasant Street) in New London. Its exact date of construction is unknown. And as was typical of the time, it was used not only for school sessions, but also for most other social and religious gatherings in its neighborhood.
The first consolidated school in New London was built in 1906 and, over time, use of the district schools was phased out, with the Elkins School remaining open until shortly after 1950. The Pleasant Street Schoolhouse was purchased by the Pleasant Street Helpers, a benevolent women's group, in 1916, for $12.00. They used it for their gathering place for five decades, and in 1966 gave it to the New London Historical Society for its new "Old New London" site. It was the second building acquired by the NLHS and moved to its present location in 1966 at a cost of about $2200. It has the original split stone slab foundation resting on poured concrete footings. Maude Swift, Dan Allen, Bud Lauridsen, and Ted Brooks were all instrumental in making this move happen.
..