Aug 31, 2021
The community of Norwich, Vermont, celebrated the reopening of Root Schoolhouse as a space for community events following a decade of restoration work.
The August 28 celebration was filled with music, games, displays, refreshments, and remarks from past President of the Root Schoolhouse Board Brian Cook and current President Courtney Dobyns.
Restoring the historic schoolhouse
The decade-long project to restore the building included major foundation work, improved drainage, a new driveway, an ADA accessible ramp and parking space, window restoration, utility upgrades, and more. None of it could have happened without the dedicated support of volunteers, community members, donors, and area businesses. Learn more about the project.
The 1937 one-room Root Schoolhouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Root District Game Club is the non-profit organization that works to preserve the schoolhouse and use it as a community gathering place to provide educational, civic, and social activities, including performances, weddings, celebrations, and potluck suppers.
Learn more about Historic New England and the Root Schoolhouse
Historic New England awarded the restoration project a Herbert and Louise Whitney Fund Community Preservation Grant in 2016. The funds were used toward a matching a grant for foundation repair. Historic New England and the Root District Game Club previously partnered to produce Back to School: Lessons from Norwich’s One-Room Schoolhouses, a 2015 film featuring the schoolhouse. The film is part of Historic New England’s Everyone’s History series.