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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1983-06-06, Page 36leisure, etures nentertain Serving over 25,000 homes in Listowel, Wingham, Mount Forest, Milverton, Elmira, Palmerston, Harriston, Brussels, Atwood, Monkton, Millbank, Newton, Clifford, Wallenstein, Drayton, Moorefield and Arthur. Wednesday, June 8, 1983 --Where-chalk-dusty schoolbooks-and-schooLchildren.once settled, .now is -the home: of Vivian and Gerald Smith at Wyndham Hall, the two -room Floradale schoolhouse. In the kitchen is a wood stove, from Mrs. Smith's family cottage, which is used for some cooking and supplement heat. One doubts students in 1907, when the school was first built, would ever imagine a microwave oven in a kitchen along with a wooden stove but that can be seen in this kitchen. 9 • Today the furniture and some of the collectables in the Smith home would be expen- sive but when first purchased meant a saving to a young married couple. Besides representing Canadian handicrafts, the home is an imaginative example of what can be accomplished without necessarily spending a great deaL Floradale Homecoming A return to the two -room school by Kim Dadson Ever wonder what it would be like to re- turn to the old schoolhouse you attended as a child — perhaps see where you scrawled your name in perpetuity on a post? Or visit the community people, the corner store, the creek where you spent long summer days? Or do you think it isn't possible. If you were ever a resident of the hamlet of Floradale, it not only is possible, a special day is being planned for all such memories on Saturday, June 25. Nothing stands still and although there have been changes, some obvious, others not, former residents will be pleased to know they will return to much the same: a quiet, rural hamlet where neighbor knows neighbor and even the old two -room school- house, built in 1907, still stands and what's more, is open to public tours in honor of the Floradale Homecoming. Over 1,000 invitations have been sent to heads of families by the Floradale parks and recreation committee, the nucleus commit- tee -responsible-for-the-festivifies_ Secretary of the committee, Allen D. Martin, says there is no special reason for the homecom- ing but as a local historian he notes the sec- ond record of a land salein the hamlet was in 1852, 131 years ago to Henry Snider. The first purchase was made in 1908 by Samuel Eby. Every three years the parks committee holds a community picnic — this year the "community" is being extended to include anyone who has ever lived near or in Flora - dale. "For anyone who ever had anything to do with Floradale;" explains Mr. Martin. That would include those who .have been responsible for the education of Floradale pupils through the years. And if teachers and pupils haven't seen it already, they must return for a tour of the two -room schoolhouse, now the tastefully decorated home of Vivian and Gerald Smith. Although the Smiths indicate they prefer articles on the school, not themselves, it would be difficult to write about one without the other. The couple, who moved to the school 10 years ago for Mrs. Smith's health, have turned their home into museum quality, yet still retain a homey, comfort- able feeling in the house. The antiques and old furniture have been collected through the years, purchased in the early years of marriage because it was the only furniture a young couple could af- ford. Never dreaming the old furniture that her husband restored would be valuable one day, Mrs. Smith adds, "This home just seemed to be waiting for us." The house has meant a permanent settling down for the two who have spent their lives moving according to the whim of the armed forces. They have raised their own family of , two in the home and helped others along the way in the form of fostering. Their grand- children visit and play around the antiques and Mennonite women from the community frequently hold quilting bees in the same room some of them attended classes. School children are welcome visitors. As Mrs. Smith's health improved they started to share the house and things "snow- balled" — they have hosted a luncheon for contestants in a Miss Oktoberfest contest and the home is part of the countryside tour at the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival. There Quilts are everywhere at the Flordale school house — on the by the Smiths for years, seemed to be just waiting for a wall, on tables and on the beds. The antique furniture, owned background like the Floradale school. is Mennonite folk art *every room includ- ing rugs and quilts and in return the Smiths have included a table of Eskimo and Indian folk art as part of an educational tour for school children. They think of their home as a cultural centre. Opening their home has made life in- teresting and diverse for the Smiths. On display in the basement is an old quilt which Mr. Smith bought for his wife years ago: it was recognized by an old lady who was on a tour through the home. She recog- nized material from a dress she once wore in the quilt pattern. Another tour through the home included Japanese visitors who wanted their pictures taken beside the Smith's bed. Through an in- terpreter they exclaimed about the height of the bed and wondered if the Smiths ever fell out of bed! The basement used to have separate en- trances and exits for girls and boys. "They never even ate lunch together until the 1950s," Mrs. Smith chuckles. On one side was the boy's workshop and the girls took home economics on the other. During one tour Mr. Smith led women to the side for- merly used by the boys and the faces of several women dropped. They had been stu- dents at the school and had never been al- lowed on -the. boys side and still felt strafe to be breaking the rule. Outside the school an old swing set still stands on the lawn. A school has been on the property, just north of the hamlet, since 1854 when land was conveyed by Conrad B. Lackner. According to information written in a Tweedsmuir History, by Mrs. Alfred Rit- ter in 1968 for the North Woolwich Women's Institute, the first school was a one -room building which cost $112.70 to build. The first trustees were well-known pioneers, William Hembling, Lewis Hebere and Jacob Ging- rich. Because of a lack of government grants the school was in debt from 1854 to 1863 when ...ctq, account book showed a balance of $ 1.341/2. This half enfeaa7earri'i 1-ailong in the balance for a number of years when in 1863 the treasurer got rid of it by paying Wil- liam Hembling for services as chairman of the board of trustees for nine years the sum of $49.70'/2. Some of the expenses shown in the account book in 1855 included: stove, $18; stove pipes ' and drum, $4.87%; William Lemon for teaching (one month) $20; Elias Durstine for teaching (three months) $81; Menno S. Bowman for teaching (three months) $66 and Eliab Moyer for teaching, (three months) $78. In 1865 more land was purchased from Conrad E. Lackner and a new white brick school was built with one large classroom without a basement. Cost of the brick was $142, drawing of plans $2 and deeds and agreements, $10. The old building sold for $11.60. By 1874 accommodation was inadequate and another classroom added. The school- house and contents were insured and the first premium of $2.50 was paid. It was not until 1891 that women teachers were hired. In 1907 a new building was erected with two classrooms and a base- ment for $5,000. One person who will take part in the June 25 activities is Mrs. Grace Scott of North Woolwich who taught at Floradale from 1949 to 1951 and again from 1953 to 1960. Former students off Mrs. Scott's may re- call as she does the " great ball teams" that travelled from school to school to play — getting there in the back of the teacher's truck. One team of boys in particular may recall engine trouble coming out of West Montrose and being stuck with the teacher who tried to reach her husband for help! Mrs. Scott recalls how school inspectors used to frighten some teachers. She relates the time an inspector came to her room slamming the door after him and angrily asking her if she realized she should have a well vented classroom. It was winter and freezing outside and no windows were open. He then criticized the progress of her stu- dents in reading comprehension and the fact she pointed out that the tests were made for students whose first language was English ( and most students entering Floradale could not speak English but a dialect spoken in Mennonite homes) didn't seem to make any difference. The next week the same inspector return- ed and was all charrn and ate lunch with her. There haven't been too many changes in students over the years, corhrnents Mrs. Scott. The little tricks, such as putting up the window on a warm day and accidentally dropping a pencil outside, were common — it usually took quite a while to retrive the pencil! In 1965-55 Grades 7 and 8 went to Riverside Public School in Elmira and from Septem- ber to November in l)66 the`vo rooms were used for Grade 3, 4 and 5. Then all students were transferred to the new school in Flora - dale. The last teachers to serve in the two rooms were James Miller and Mrs. Lloyd ( Mary) Ziegler. it was fortunate, however, that the school did not meet death due to neglect. it was purchased in 1967 by Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Hall and lovingly renovated into a private home. In 1973 when the Smiths heard about the schoolhouse for sale the real estate agent warned that the Halls were "fussy" about to whom they sold. "I know how he felt, now," claims Mr. Smith. Original hardwood flooring shines with just a damp mop, names scratched into basement posts remain — it's the type of home an owner must love and preserve. Since the Smiths purchased the home and made it available to the public, the school- house seems to be coming back to life. Once again people are learning within its walls. One goal Mr. Smith would like to see com- plete yet is to have the local architectural committee dedicate the schoolhouse as a two -room schoolhouse peculiar in design to this area. At the Homecoming, June 25, tours of the school will leave from the park (or if it rains„all activities will be moved indoors at the present school) . The day will start at 10 a.m. with a parade followed by a pot -luck lunch at 12 noon at the Community Park. Coffee and cold drinks will be available but everyone is asked to bring something for lunch. There will be horseshoes and a ball game in the afternoon, an old photo display and the school tours. "We don't want to over -program," ex- plains Mr. Martin. Instead people will have time to visit. Several community and area people have been involved for several months planning the homecoming. Mr. Martin, who teaches art and science at Linwood Public School has been working for the past four years on a history of Flora - dale. Part of it is completed but he still has research and writing to do before it will be done. Floradale was called Leon on maps made in 1860 and in 1963 it was changed to Flora. The "dale" was added in 1876 because of a confusion between the names Flora and Elora. For former residents looking for school memories or wanting to enjoy a day in a rural community with old friends and neigh- bors, the Floradale Homecoming committee welcomes and encourages all to return June 25. • An electric fireplace, belonging to Mrs. Smith's family, helps heat the master bedroom. Heating the large home became a concern with the energy crisis. In the living room is one of two electric fireplaces in the Smith home. The living room is where the senior classes, grades four to eight, were taught. The room has been divided and at the back is a family room with television and sliding doors (where the chalkboard used to be) which open onto a closed -in porch.