Graded Schoolhouse is site of upcoming Potato Festival

Richford’s Graded Schoolhouse, site of the town’s annual fall Potato Festival, planned for Sept. 16 this year, was built in 1869 to replace the log school that had been located across the road, now State Route 38. The school had two floors and accommodated grades first through sixth for nearly 100 years.

In 1955, the schoolhouse was closed and was then deeded to the Town of Richford. The Town later sold the building to the Paragon Lodge of the Odd Fellows, who used the building in the 1960’s and 1970’s.  

The building was used by the Richford Fire Department for fire training from 1974 through the 1980’s. In 1982, the ownership of the building was granted to the Richford Fire Department. 

In 1985, the Fire Department verbally donated the building to the Town of Richford. During the 1980’s the Town of Richford obtained some grants to perform renovations to the building. The renovations included electric, heating and foundation repairs.  

The schoolhouse then sat vacant until 1992 when the Richford Historical Society started using it. With help from Lockheed Martin and numerous volunteers, huge amounts of work were performed between 1998 through 2001.  

During that time interior and exterior structural repairs were made, windows were replaced, and painting was done on the interior and exterior of the building. However, before any of that work could be done, the soot and fire damaged boards needed to be scrubbed, scraped and preserved as much as possible. This was a monumental task.  

Unfortunately, after Lockheed Martin left the project, the number of volunteers dwindled and the exterior painting was not completed.

Last summer a renewed interest was found after a Town survey was conducted in connection to a Cornell Design Connect project. From this interest emerged Greg Kulina and Joe Hutchings, who graciously offered to help get the schoolhouse painted. They, along with Bill Sherwood and various other volunteers, spent many long, hot days scraping, repairing and painting the outside of this beloved building.

The Richford Historical Society was able to raise enough money to purchase 10 gallons of primer paint tinted to the historical color of the time period in which the school was built. They also received donations of caulk and tarps from True Value on Triphammer Road in Ithaca. The cost of the primer and supplies so far is approximately $600.  

With the age of the wood siding, higher absorption rate, and replaced areas of siding, more primer is needed than was originally calculated. In order to finish the project, approximately $650 will be needed for primer and $700 for the top coat.

The goals for the schoolhouse are to make it more useful for the public and more accessible while still preserving the historical beauty of this precious building. The building currently houses a display of articles relating to Richford’s history. It is also the site of the annual fall Potato Festival, which will be held this year on Saturday, Sept. 16. 

Anyone who has questions or wishes to contribute toward the painting of the Richford Graded Schoolhouse can contact Bill Sherwood, president of the Richford Historical Society, by phone at (607) 539-6283 or by mail to Richford Historical Society, 66 Robinson Hollow Rd., Richford, N.Y. 13835.