Group Photograph at Orwell Public School, 1860

History / Biographical: The first school in Elgin County is said to have been at Rodger's Corners about a mile east of Orwell. It was a frame school built in 1816 on land donated by Isaac Ostrander. Deacons Davis and Teeple of the Baptist Church were the main promoters of the school which was also used as a Baptist meeting house. The building was used as a Baptist Church until 1844; sometime before that date, a new school must have been built. The building was sold to a Mr. McDonald, a carriage-maker, and later moved to 18 Gravel Road South in Aylmer. Sometime before 1888, it was destroyed by fire. In 1916, a one-room brick schoolhouse was in use; its date of construction is unknown. On January 16, 1954 the ratepayers of U.S.S. #10/14 decided to build a new two-room school at a cost of $42,400. The old school site was leased to Orwel 1 Community Club for one dollar a year. In the school year 1961-62, overcrowding had become a problem so a classroom was established in the rear of the church in Orwell. On November 28, 1962 the decision was made to build a two-room addition to the school at a cost of about $40,000. Both the original building and the addition were designed by Fred Green of St. Thomas. The addition was ready when school opened in September, 1963, but the fourth classroom was not used until October, 1964. The Orwell school closed in 1970 and was sold to a group of Mennonites who renovated it for use as a church.

Scope and Content: Copy print of a photograph featuring a group of students and staff of Orwell Public School, posing in front of the school's wood frame building. Below the image is the following caption: "Orwell School! / Photograph by Professor Boisseau July 1860"