Old Stone School House

Stone Cold Stunner
Old Stone School House, Farmington (Location)
December 2025

Connecticut museum visit #553.

Of course I’d had this Farmington Historical Society gem on my list of Connecticut museums for years and years. It was always just one of those, “oh yeah, that. I’ll get to it someday” places.

Well, I write this as this website is entering its 20th year of existence and certain things have become clear to me. One of those things is that I really don’t need to wait for every one-room school house to have their one or two open Saturdays for me to visit and write the same thing I’ve written for the previous 20 one-room school houses that I did wait to be open.

So as I was driving to find a trail over here in western Farmington, I passed what appeared to be an old stone school house, did a double take, and said to myself, “hey! That old stone school house is The Old Stone School House!”

So I did my little John McManama Nature Trail hike at the West District School and then happened upon the Farmington Land Trust and noticed a trail there too so I walked that and then… then I made my way to the Old Stone School House.

It’s quite nice.

As in every town, there were a bunch of school houses all over because traveling by bus wasn’t a thing in the 1700’s. This school house was slated to be built by decree in 1713, but money and a Revolution delayed it until 1790.

Borrowed text is from a Patch article. I’ve stopped linking stuff because links die so frequently.

Brownstone from a quarry off New Britain Avenue was brought to the site by ox-drawn wagons, and men of the District helped to build and furnish the school. Deacon Calvin Hatch, the first schoolmaster, had a class of seven pupils when the first session began. American Indian children who lived nearby were among those attending.

From the Historical Society

By 1872 enrollment was exceeding 40 students and the small brownstone building was overcrowded. The West District built a new frame school house just up the road, now a residence at 102 Coppermine Road.

So it served as a school for 80 years or so. Owing to its stone design, this thing wasn’t going anywhere. It was privately owned for a few decades, including by a Civil War Veteran and former slave Simon Manus.

Then it was owned by all sorts of religious groups and it was used as a church and social gathering spot. In 1912, the annex was built to better facilitate church services – but they were sure to use the same quarried brownstone.

By the mid-20th century, the old stone building had lived its life and was falling into disrepair. It was then that the toddler-aged Farmington Historical Society stepped up and began fixing it up again. In 1990, on its 200th birthday, it was opened as a museum “reflecting its important role in the practice and progress of education and religion in Farmington and, particularly, the West District.”

By 1993 a restoration project was undertaken to repair damage and deterioration which were threatening the structure and to return the schoolroom to its original appearance. During the restoration project what was thought to be the footings for the original fireplace, were discovered. A fireplace was built to the ceiling and the room refurnished to the manner of 1790 to 1820. The refurbished schoolhouse with plumbing and electricity was re-opened on August 7, 1994.

It was hit by a car in 2011. Two years later, the fireplace was about to fall over, so it was removed.

In late 2025, I parked and took pictures and in early January 2026, I published this page and you read it.