Schools in Killingworth
©Thomas L. Lentz, Municipal Historian
The first school in present Killingworth was built in 1733 near Wolf Meadow (probably on Roast Meat Hill Road in the vicinity of the cemetery.) The Second Ecclesiastical Society was responsible for maintaining public schools in North Killingworth beginning in 1735. In 1766, the General Assembly passed a law authorizing ecclesiastical societies to divide themselves into school districts. The district was the smallest local unit of school control. Each district had its own committee responsible for the operation of its school. In 1798, the General Assembly transferred control of public schools from ecclesiastical societies to school societies. This transferred control of schools from the church to civil authority. North Killingworth formed a school society in 1795 that oversaw the schools until 1856. A Board of Education was established the following year.
At the end of the eighteenth century, North Killingworth had 11 school districts, each with its own one room schoolhouse; Roast Meat Hill, Meeting House, Tower Hill, Parmelee, Lane, Nettleton, Southwest Corner, Parker Hill, Stone House, Chestnut Hill, and Blackrock Districts. Districts were often changed, combined with others, or new ones created. The Tower Hill, Roast Meat Hill, and Parmelee Districts were consolidated into the Union District in 1800. The Tower Hill school was located at the junction of Titus Coan Road and the Deep River Turnpike, also called the Winthrop Road, a little north of Route 80; the Roast Meat Hill school was located on Roast Meat Hill Road about 0.1 mile north of Stevens Road; and the Parmelee District school was located on Roast Meat Hill Road a short distance north of the cemetery. The schools and number of students in the 1814/15 school year are listed below. The Center District was the Meeting House District. Afterwards, the Nettleton District was named the Pine Orchard District and Parker’s Hill District was combined with the Lane District so that there were a total of eight districts.
In 1814, there were 388 students enrolled in North Killingworth schools. Population declined in the nineteenth century as people moved west to better farmland. In 1869, there were 188 students enrolled in the schools and in 1916 only 127. In the twentieth century, most of the schools closed and the students were transferred to the remaining schools. The last year of the one-room schoolhouses was 1948. All eight schoolhouses of the nineteenth century still stand.
Schools in 1814 Students
Center 70
Southwest 29
Chestnut Hill 40
Union 54
Lane 75
Parker’s Hill 28
Nettleton 36
Stone House 36
Black Rock 20
388
The one-room schoolhouses today
Center (Traffic Circle)
Southwest (was on Green Hill Road, moved to Fire Tower Road)
Union (Roast Meat Hill Road, Historical Society)
Lane (Pond Meadow Road and Route81, former VFW Hall, private)
Stone House (Little City Road, private)
Black Rock (was off Route 148, moved to Recycle Way, Historical Society)
Pine Orchard (was on Route 148, moved to Parmelee Farm, Town of Killingworth)
Chestnut Hill (Chestnut Hill Road, private)
The Killingworth Elementary School was completed in 1948 at a cost of $95,000. It was dedicated in November and opened in 1949 with 67 students. The population of Killingworth was increasing greatly so that in 1958, $168,000 was appropriated for constructing an addition of four classrooms and an auditorium to the elementary school. In 1972, Killingworth and Haddam formed Regional School District 17. The Haddam-Killingworth High School was built in 1978. Previously, Killingworth students attended high school in Clinton and Madison. A new Haddam-Killingworth Middle School on Route 81 was opened in January 2007.
The first school in present Killingworth was built in 1733 near Wolf Meadow (probably on Roast Meat Hill Road in the vicinity of the cemetery.) The Second Ecclesiastical Society was responsible for maintaining public schools in North Killingworth beginning in 1735. In 1766, the General Assembly passed a law authorizing ecclesiastical societies to divide themselves into school districts. The district was the smallest local unit of school control. Each district had its own committee responsible for the operation of its school. In 1798, the General Assembly transferred control of public schools from ecclesiastical societies to school societies. This transferred control of schools from the church to civil authority. North Killingworth formed a school society in 1795 that oversaw the schools until 1856. A Board of Education was established the following year.
At the end of the eighteenth century, North Killingworth had 11 school districts, each with its own one room schoolhouse; Roast Meat Hill, Meeting House, Tower Hill, Parmelee, Lane, Nettleton, Southwest Corner, Parker Hill, Stone House, Chestnut Hill, and Blackrock Districts. Districts were often changed, combined with others, or new ones created. The Tower Hill, Roast Meat Hill, and Parmelee Districts were consolidated into the Union District in 1800. The Tower Hill school was located at the junction of Titus Coan Road and the Deep River Turnpike, also called the Winthrop Road, a little north of Route 80; the Roast Meat Hill school was located on Roast Meat Hill Road about 0.1 mile north of Stevens Road; and the Parmelee District school was located on Roast Meat Hill Road a short distance north of the cemetery. The schools and number of students in the 1814/15 school year are listed below. The Center District was the Meeting House District. Afterwards, the Nettleton District was named the Pine Orchard District and Parker’s Hill District was combined with the Lane District so that there were a total of eight districts.
In 1814, there were 388 students enrolled in North Killingworth schools. Population declined in the nineteenth century as people moved west to better farmland. In 1869, there were 188 students enrolled in the schools and in 1916 only 127. In the twentieth century, most of the schools closed and the students were transferred to the remaining schools. The last year of the one-room schoolhouses was 1948. All eight schoolhouses of the nineteenth century still stand.
Schools in 1814 Students
Center 70
Southwest 29
Chestnut Hill 40
Union 54
Lane 75
Parker’s Hill 28
Nettleton 36
Stone House 36
Black Rock 20
388
The one-room schoolhouses today
Center (Traffic Circle)
Southwest (was on Green Hill Road, moved to Fire Tower Road)
Union (Roast Meat Hill Road, Historical Society)
Lane (Pond Meadow Road and Route81, former VFW Hall, private)
Stone House (Little City Road, private)
Black Rock (was off Route 148, moved to Recycle Way, Historical Society)
Pine Orchard (was on Route 148, moved to Parmelee Farm, Town of Killingworth)
Chestnut Hill (Chestnut Hill Road, private)
The Killingworth Elementary School was completed in 1948 at a cost of $95,000. It was dedicated in November and opened in 1949 with 67 students. The population of Killingworth was increasing greatly so that in 1958, $168,000 was appropriated for constructing an addition of four classrooms and an auditorium to the elementary school. In 1972, Killingworth and Haddam formed Regional School District 17. The Haddam-Killingworth High School was built in 1978. Previously, Killingworth students attended high school in Clinton and Madison. A new Haddam-Killingworth Middle School on Route 81 was opened in January 2007.
New Barn Provides Much Needed SpaceThe Historical Society barn, located behind the farmhouse, is a welcome addition to the Parmelee Farm. It took many years of fundraising to secure the monies to build the barn, but it was worth the wait. The post and beam structure is appropriate to the farm and has allowed the Society much needed space for its growing collection of artifacts. Additionally, the barn is used for events like school programs and the Annual Christmas Fair.
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