School Section #2, Moore – Mooretown School

S. S. #2, Moore – Mooretown School – built in 1867

In April 1857, the trustees of School Section #2, Moore petitioned Moore Township Council for a by-law authorizing them to borrow up to $500 for the construction of a “common school house”.  The trustees were David Cronkite, Mitchel Bazo and John Courtney Sr.  The by-law was passed, taxes collected and a building erected.  This small frame building, however, was used only until 1867, when a new two-storey wooden school building was constructed. The old school was moved to Courtright, where it served as the parish hall for St. Stephen’s Anglican Church.  

The upper floor of the 1867 building housed the first and second forms (grades 1 to 4) and the lower floor the third and fourth forms (grades 5 to 8).  For the first year after its construction, this Mooretown School served as the township hall, but the municipal offices were moved to the more central location of Moore Centre after that time. 

S. S. #2 Moore – 1910 (or possibly 1918)
S. S. #2 Moore June 14, 1915 Very few names are available for this photo, but those identified are: Back row, second from left, Fern Shepherd and 2nd from right Bill Harkness Middle row – 5th from left Tom Turnbull, 7th from left Russell German and 3rd from right Lowly Glass Front row – 8th from left ? Glass
S. S. #2 Moore – undated Front Row (left to right) Elizabeth Noyle, Helen Creighton, ?, ?, ? 2nd Row Don Morrison, Jack Kelso, ?, ?, Jean Creighton, Charlie Tully, ? 3rd Row Cliff Simpson, ?, ?, Kathleen Simpson, Bob Tully 4th Row all unidentified
S. S. #2 Moore, undated photo
S. S. #2 Moore 1936 1st row (right side) June Moran, Muriel Clysdale, Annie Clysdale, Gertrude Stubbs, Theresa Morrison. Teacher, Miss Bessie Chowen, standing behind row. 2nd row from right: Bobby Walton & Joan Walton, Ray Stebbins, Marguerite White, Jimmy Noyle, Jimmy Burdan, Roberta Burdan, Billie Dancavitch. 3rd row from right: Edgar Morden, Norman Noyle & Kenneth Cunningham, Ross Cunningham, Geneva German, Noreen Clysdale, Helen Moran, Donald Noyle. Left row: Isobel MacPherson, Loreen Walton, Thelma German, Beatrice Burdan, Earle Clysdale, Ila Stebbins, Donald Walton.
S. S. #2, Moore Miss McCrea’s Class, circa 1940-41 Back Row (left to right) – Miss McCrea, Isabella Kimberly, Ila Stebbins, Thelma German, Isobel MacPherson, Nancy Roberts, Elsie Pullen, Edgar Morden, Helen Moran, Norman Noyle, Noreen Clysdale, Geneva German, Ross Cunningham, Marjorie Randall. Front Row – Robert Noyle (standing), Ronald Moran, Earle Clysdale, Lee Roberts, Harold Rand, Osbourne Harkins, James Noyle, Bruce MacPherson, Ken Cunningham, Junior Roberts, Bill Randall, Jackson Clysdale.

On February 28, 1942, this 2-storey wooden schoolhouse was destroyed by fire.  The cause of the fire was not determined, although it appeared to have started on the main floor.  A newspaper report at the time noted that “The efforts of bucket brigades and the chemical fire-fighting equipment of Corunna and Courtright, proved unavailing in control of the fire”.  At the time of the fire, the school was also serving as a public hall and as the lodge room for the Odd Fellows Lodge.

To accommodate the classes while the new building was being built, the children were divided among the Sunday School rooms of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Mooretown, and the schools in Corunna and Courtright. The new building, a 2-storey red brick structure, was completed by November 1942.  In 1952, a wing was added to create a second classroom.  Grades 1 to 4 occupied the room in the original part and grades 5 to 8 the new wing (with windows facing the street).  The upper level housed the office.

Top row,l-r Chuck Nisbet, Patty Mcwain ?, Dave Reed, Wendy Walker, Jim Walker, Joanne Denley, Rick Denley, ? , Miss Simmons 2nd row l-r Brenda Clements, Dave Pattenden, Bonnie MacDonald, Jean Findlater, ? , Cathy Harper 3rd row l-r Dale MacDonald, Cathy Sutherland, Chris Pearce, Donna Wade, Mike Pearce, Barb Colborne, Jim Sutherland, Betty Bell, Alec Tulley Bottom row l-r John Armstrong, Ricky Croteau, ?, Jim MacPherson, Judy Romph, Dan Anderson, ?, Ron Harper, Dave Denley
S. S. #2 Moore 1961/62 Front (left to right): Ricky Croteau, Judy Romphf, John Armstrong, Bonnie McDonald, Jean Findlater, Mike Pearce, Patti McWain, Donna Wade, Mark Anderson Middle: Betty Bell, Bonita Brayne, ?, Joanne Denley, Dale McDonald, Barbara Colborne, Chuck Nisbet, Brenda Clemens, Dave Pattenden, Wendy Walker, Steve Torma. Back: Debra Findlater, Jim MacPherson, Dave Denley, Danny Anderson, Cathy Harper, ?, Carol McWain, Chris Pearce, Robert MacPherson, Miss Johnson
S. S. #2, Moore Grades 1 to 4 – 1962/63 Back row: Chris Pierce (gr. 4), Mike Pierce (gr. 4), Judy Romphf (gr. 3), Betty Bell (gr. 4), Cathy Harper (gr. 4), Melvin Shephard (gr. 4), Jean Findlater (gr. 4), Patty McWain (gr. 2), Willy Van Wynen (gr. 1), Doug Ellerker (gr. 1), Rick Croteau (gr. 3). 2nd row: Mark Anderson (gr. 2), Bill Harper (gr. 1), Robert MacPherson (gr. 2), Jim MacPherson (gr. 3), Terry Marsh (gr. 1), Steve Torma (gr. 2), Dan Anderson (gr. 3), David Denley (gr. 3), John Armstrong (gr. 3), Gordon McKenna (gr. 1). Front row: Debordah Findlater (gr. 2), Judy Armstrong (gr. 1), Janice Nisbet (gr. 1), Miss Johnson, Donna Wade (gr.3), Pat Clysdale (gr. 1), Debbie Shepherd (gr. 2).

When consolidation of the township schools took place in 1963, the students were moved to the newly constructed Mooretown Central School next door.  Two years later, amalgamation with Courtright School caused student numbers to rise enough that the old school was put back to use.  A student from that time recalls that a well-worn path marked the route the students in the old school used to access the gym next door.  An addition onto the new school in 1969 created enough space that all students could be houses and the 1942/52 building was retired for use as storage.  In the early 1970s, however, it began a new chapter when it was selected as the location for the newly established Moore Museum.

Sources:

Newspaper clipping – “School at Mooretown is Destroyed by Fire”, 1942.  Moore Museum Research collection R1214

Bedggood, Dorothy.  “A Century of Education – Original Mooretown School Now St. Stephen’s, Parish Hall”, The Gazette, February 19, 1969.

Moore Township By-law No. 13 of 1857

S. S. #2 Moore typed history.  Moore Museum Research Collection R 772

        

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