West Freedom School 175th Anniversary
Updated: Aug 7, 2022
August 20th Perry Twp. Community Days
In celebration of its 175th anniversary, the two-room school in West Freedom will be open from 10 am until 5 pm on August 20th during Perry Township’s Community Days. This is just one of the projects of the Perry Township Historical Society.
Visitors can browse on their own during those hours while a narrated visit will be conducted by Kay Caldwwell at 10:30 am and 3:00 pm if visitors wish to hear more history of the school.
The school, whose cornerstone is dated 1864, was not open for students until 1847, make 2022 its 175th anniversary. The room that was designed for first through fourth grades has been completely restored as a classroom by the historical society, with everything from desks, to the water jug, to the inkwells. The room for 5th through 8th graders is now a museum room of mostly township-related artifacts with hundreds of photos, family histories, and original bell from the West Freedom Academy, as well as a horse-drawn mail buggy that was recently acquired from the Clarion County Historical Society.
Seventh and eighth grades were eliminated her in the 1940’s and the school was closed completely following the 1954-55 school year.
The society will also have a display at the West Freedom park, the center of Community Days activities, which will include a free gift as well as books and other items for sale.