VILLAS- The historic Fishing Creek School is sporting a new cedar shake roof as part of its restoration.
The last surviving one-room schoolhouse in Lower Township was built in 1888. It still has a bell in the belfry, its original floors and even a chalkboard in the front room.
Many of those who aided in the construction of the one room schoolhouse were veterans of the Civil War. The Fishing Creek School served as the only school in the area until 1921 when some students were sent to the Cold Spring Academy.
Township Council appropriated $20,000 for a new roof in 2007 as a part of the capital improvement budget. The new roof was installed by Mike Trainor’s Roofing last week.
Two old roofs were removed from the schoolhouse along with two chimneys that were in poor condition, according to Township Manager Kathy McPherson. The building originally had a cedar shake roof.
Volunteers will remove interior walls that were added when the schoolhouse was used as a summer home by the Leckey Family. Anco Home Center has donated paint for the schoolhouse.
The township must get state approval for all restoration work since the building is owned by the state Green Acres Program and leased to Lower Township, said McPherson. An outhouse building behind the school remains unrestored at this time.
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