Reed School

Springbank Farm and the Lebanon Community School District are collaborating to save the historic Reed School, located on the grounds of Hamilton Creek School on Berlin Road in Lebanon. Though a few years back a dedicated group made a good effort to relocate the building, the proposed site was several miles away, making the project cost-prohibitive. The building has now sat unused for years and needs work to be salvaged. Rather than see the school demolished or continue to run down and present a hazard and eyesore for the community, which was looking like its most likely fate, an agreement was reached to apply funds that would have been used for demolition toward relocating the building across Berlin Road to Springbank Farm. The move will occur in the Spring of 2009.

We plan to restore the Reed School and incorporate it into a “farm camp” for children, a summer day camp that will provide safe and fun activities aimed at teaching kids about the wonders and responsibilities associated with life on the farm. Kids will get to participate in making crafts, gardening, taking nature hikes, doing wildlife studies, blueberry picking, and other projects—all the while developing skills, confidence, and a solid work ethic. The Reed School will provide a lovely classroom setting for participants, probably not unlike that experienced by the kids’ grandparents. Both the Reed School and the farm camp will be part of a non-profit organization run by Springbank Farm. The building will also be made available to local groups and organizations and people wishing to tour the facility.

Raise Your Hand! Help Save the Reed School

Like most labors of love, this project lifts our hearts but weighs heavily on our finances. We are very grateful to the Lebanon Community School District for making this dream come true by committing $17,500 that otherwise would have been spent on demolition, toward the fees for moving the school to our farm. This will cover most of the costs involved in transporting the building to the new site. However, we’re still working on raising funds for the following additional tasks needed to complete the restoration:

Any groups or individuals interested in making monetary or in-kind donations are encouraged to contact Brian O’Driscoll at 503.819.6209 or info@springbankfarm.org. Additionally, people with information about the early history of the school, or having artifacts that they would like us to consider displaying in the school once it is opened to the public, are encouraged to contact us as well.

A grand opening event to celebrate the restoration of the school is being planned.

Springbank Farm was owned by the John Reed family in the late 1800’s and up until Paul and Phyllis O’Driscoll purchased the farm in 1973. Mrs. Anna Bond Reed was the Reed School’s first teacher. Built in 1924, the school is a fine example of turn-of-the-century craftsmanship, featuring a bell tower, a handmade tapered wooden flag pole, and a classic one-room design. Last used as a music classroom for elementary students of Hamilton Creek School, the school has sat unused by the District for several years. As children, back in the 1970’s, Brian O’Driscoll and siblings Kathryn and Sean had music and square dancing lessons in the Reed School under the instruction of Mrs. Judy Schrader, who taught first grade in the building for many years.