Valley Girl Views: The Grant School (Milton Pa)

The Grant School 1900-1979

At Cherry St & Ferry Lane, the location of the first school in Northumberland County

Near where Rhoads [formerly Custers] Mill stands today.

The Grant School, and the Pollack School, both in Milton, were identical in construction. An addition was added to the Grant School in 1914.

Site Of The First School In Northumberland County

The Grant School was built in 1900.

In August of 1798, two years after the first log school was built near this spot, the land was deeded from Andrew Straub to five trustees, "for an in consideration of that great desire to promote education of the youth of Milton."

The first teacher was John Chochran, who taught for one year. He was followed by James McGuigan, and then by William H. Sanderson, who taught in Milton until 1804. Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, and Spelling were taught at the school.

In 1838 the building was sold, and moved to the mouth of Limestone Run, where it was used as a blacksmith shop.

1858 Map of Northumberland County, Showing the School House In Milton

The school board at that time had decided to erect a new building on the spot. That building stood until 1872, when it was replaced by a new building.

A marble plaque shows the structure was again built in 1900. (I have not seen this plaque myself, it's referenced in modern newspapers) But the 1906 Sanborn fire map also shows that the school was built in 1900.

1906 Sanborn Map

A two room addition was added in 1914.

The 1918 Sanborn Map shows the additions on the Grant School

The Daily Item reported that the school was named President Grant after the addition in 1914, but newspaper articles from as early as 1909 were already referring to it as the Grant School.

A 1909 Report on the Tuition & Enrollment of the Milton Schools

1926, Grant School

The Grant School was grades 1-5, and the students went home each day for lunch. There were two 5th grade rooms at the Balcony area.

In 1938, Samuel Harris defeated his brother Willie to win the marble Championship at the Grant School In Milton

" In the cellar was a giant red bell used to summon the janitor. It made an awful racket. One time there was a fire in the cellar, a trash basket was burning. Mr. Croman, the janitor, pulled the basket outside and burned his hand badly. "

The Grant School, a six room brick building, was built about 1900, on a triangular plot of land that is today bordered by Ferry Lane, Garfield Avenue, and Lower Market Street.

In 1978 the school was reported to be in a general state of disrepair, needing much work.

The roof leaked, and the structure had been the target of vandals.

For several years, the building had been rented to the Hoover furniture galleries, but by 1978, it was unoccupied.

The Grant School was torn down in 1979

The Northumberland County Redevelopment Authority purchased the Grant School in August of 1978, for $14,500. (It was unable to be repaired after the 1972 flood)

As part of the sale agreement, a marker was to be placed on the site, documenting it as the location of the first school in Northumberland County.

A log school was built on this spot in 1796, just four years after the county of was formed. It was the first school in Northumberland County.

Donald M. Evans, owner of Evans Memorials, drew up a sketch of the proposed monument in January of 1977. The original sketch proposed a memorial 12 feet high and 7 feet wide.

The borough was maintaining the site, but the school district was responsible for the monument.

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https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2019/05/one-room-schoolhouses-index.html

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Find More Stories & History Of Milton Here:

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/04/milton-pa.html

And more history from the central Susquehanna valley, here:

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/p/history.html

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See more old photos of Rhoads [Custers] Flour Mill here:

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/10/custers-rhoads-flour-mill-milton-pa.html

From Bell’s History of Northumberland County 1891:

Educational effort at Milton, no less than the material development of the town, received its early impetus from Andrew Straub. On the 30th of August, 1798, he conveyed to John Teitsworth, John Cochran, John Chestnut, John Armstrong, and George Calhoon, trustees, lot No. 90 of the town plot, “for and in consideration of the great desire” he had “to promote the education of youth in the town of Milton” and at the nominal sum of five shillings. It was expressly stipulated that the lot in question should be used “for the only purpose of a school house being erected thereon and a regular English or other school being kept for the education of youth in the town of Milton, and whatsoever other uses may be considered as beneficial to said school by the trustees thereof”.

At the time this deed was executed a school house had already been erected. It was a small log building, and stood on the triangular lot of ground on Lower Market street near the location of a brick school building erected there in 1872. The first teacher was James Cochran, and his immediate successors were James McGuigan and William H. Sanderson. This was the only school house in the lower part of the town from the time of its erection in 1796 until the year 1807. It continued to be used for educational purposes until 1838.

In 1838 the log school house originally erected on Lower Market street was sold and removed to the vicinity of the old stone mill at the mouth of Limestone run, where it was rebuilt and used as a blacksmith shop. Its former site was marked by a depression in the ground, which formed a pond and in the winter afforded skating for the juvenile population that congregated at its successor, a brick school house of two rooms erected in 1838 by Thomas S. Mackey under the auspices of the local board of directors.