"This Fortunate District": Green School History

Welcome to Green School History, a site devoted entirely to the Green School in Middleborough, Massachusetts. Located on East Main Street in the Green section of Middleborough, the school was built in 1871 and was in continual use until June, 1941, when it was closed. Reopened for a short period of time in the 1990s, the Green School in 2009 was threatened with demolition. A group of concerned residents banded together to save this one-room schoolhouse. Thanks to the interest of the community supported by financial contributions by residents and former pupils, the building has been preserved and the exterior restored. A new use for the structure is currently under consideration. This site hopes to convey the immense historical and educational value which the Green School still retains, particularly its ability to speak to the educational history of the community of Middleborough.

The easiest way to navigate through the site is by using the left-hand sidebar. Click on the icons to read about some of the unique aspects of the Green School's history, to view pictures of the school and documents related to its history, or to make a contribution towards its preservation. Also, for a quick reference, you can also click on the chapters underneath each icon to go directly to a topic of interest.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

"The Prime Color of the World"

An informal poll conducted these past several weeks on Green School History has indicated that a majority of visitors to the site prefer the Green School to remain green. While the present green color scheme of the building is not likely to have been the building's original color, most of those favoring that shade regard the color as a traditional one for the building given that few Middleborough residents today can recall the building having been painted any other color. While some have suggested that an historic paint color analysis be conducted on the structure to ascertain its original color scheme, it is unlikely that funding would be available for such a project given the building's other outstanding needs, nor would it seem likely that the results would sway residents from their sentimental attachment to green.

"Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises." -Pedro Calderon de la Barca (1600-81), Spanish Poet and Playwright