| PENOBSCOT HISTORICAL SOCIETY |
| CONNER FARM - PENOBSCOT, MAINE |
| The Penobscot Bay School |
| The Bay School schoolhouse was discontinued in 1953. In October of 1953, students moved into the building now used today; The Penobscot Community Elementary School. In 2002 the Bay School was given to the historical society and efforts were begun to move it to the grounds of the historical society. A committee in the society was elected for a fundraiser and people went to work. Ken Jordan, building mover, was contacted to move the building. The fundraiser committee go in motion and started soliciting people for donations for restoration with suppers at the bay church, and were very successful receiving funds from private doner to raise the $3500.00 needed to move the building. Fund raising efforts are still going on for the restoration project. The school house was given to the historical society by the Harley Bowden Family. So far, all of the work on the building has been donated and people have been really generous twards th project. The School has quite a history behind it. It was originally made from the town house that was taken down in 1859, across from the schools original location. The school has now been restored to its original condition and used for the monthly meetings of the Penobscot Historical Society. The Bay School - Distirct No. 4 (1893 - 4) 42 students Spring Term - Maude M. Leach, Teacher Students Registered, 30 Cost per pupil $ 2.19 Average Attendance, 28 Length of Term, 8 weeks Cost per Term $ 65.60 Teachers wages, $6.00 weed, Board $2.15 week No.of students not absent one half day. 17 Fall Term Maude M. Leach, Teacher Students Registered, 32 Average Attendance, 30 Length of Term , 8 weeks Teachers Wages $6.00 wk Board $2.20 wk Cost of Term $65.60 Cost per pupil, $ 2.04 No. of students not absent one half day, 7 Winter Term John H. Littlefield, Teacher Students Registered, 32 Average Attendence, 24 Length of Term, 8weeks Teachers Wages $36.00month including Board Cost per term $72.00 Cost per student $2.25 Weeks of school per year, 24 No. of students not absent 1 half day during the school year, 1 (Ethel Gray ) The Complete School budget for the year 1855 was $ 1,888.81. The money raised from Town Taxes was $ 1,072.80 |
| Bay School Memories As remembered by Alma Perkins The Bay School opened around 1859. At this time, Penobscot had six rural schools, including pupils, ranging in ages from four to seventeen. The schools were graded in 1915. Books were paid for by parents as late as 1905. Average salary was $5.00 per week. The Bay School was used in the evenings as a high school. Some of the subjects taught were algebra, advanced math, spelling and english. The Building was first locate on the west side of Rt.199 and was moved to the east side of the road and placed on land owned by the late Henry Perkins and now owned by Harley Bowden. The first teachers at the school were John Littlefield and Annie Conner. Enrollment was usually around 50. When school first started in the old school house, the school year was around twenty weeks, where it is now thirty eight in most towns. Schools were never in session after december on account of very sever winters. The spring term usually started sometime in March. In the fall of 1932, Electric lights were installed with money earned by school entertainment. Mrs.Alma Perkins taught here the most consecutive years.(13). Some of Elma Perkins students included Albert Gross, Linwood Leach, Leighton Perkins and Ralph Gross. Earl Sellers is the only one student is now living that attended the bay school around 1886 |
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