Front of Escott Township
The information below was provided from the Leeds and thousand Islands Historical Society and Lake and Islands, Times Past, the shared digital histories of Rideau Lakes & Leeds and the Thousand Islands.
S.S. No. 1 Front of Escott - Willow Bank School
The first log school was built in 1844 on land owned by John Godfrey Lloyd. This site is now part of Willowbank Cemetery. In 1868, the trusteers decided to build a new stone school. Land was purchased from William Lloyd on the south side of the highway. This building hosed the school well for many years. In 1923, with teh school population at 30-45 pupils, a new school was needed. The old stone building was removed, and a new brick school with inside toilets and a coal fired furnace was started. Due to construciton delays, the building was not ready in Septemer. Classes were held in a house until the new building was opened in Sepember 1924. Miss Isobel McLaughlin was the first teacher. Willowbank closed in June 1964, and the students transferred to William Hiscocks School. The last teacher at Willowbank was Jean F. Pearson.
S.S. No. 2 Front of Escott - Sand Hill School
S.S. No. 2 Fitzroy, c. 1970 - Courtesy of Betsy Clarke
Very little is known about Sand Hill School, as it was one of the earliest to close. The first school was built on Lot 19, Concession 5, close to the present Griffin Fishing Lodge. It was of "board" construction, possibly log covered with boards. It was built before 1890. A new school was built on the Gananoque Lake Road at the corner of martin Carpenter's lane some time between 1900 and 1912. It was of frame construciton, a square building with a cottage roof. It closed about 1940. The school section, however, remained active, and they bought their education from Emery. Five or six students were transporeted by car to Emery. The building was dismantled in 1957, and rebuilt as a house on Station Road near the Gananoque Junction station.
S.S. No. 3 Front of Escott - Greenfield School
Greenfield School was situated on the north end of Lot 20, Concession 5. The land was originally given to the trustees of School Section 17 by David and Mary Grier in 1855. The first building of logs was constucted and used as a common shcool. At some time before 1877, the section number was changed to #3. It is thought the present frame building was built about that time. In December 1962, after 108 years of service to the community, teacher Wayne Anderson and 13 pupils moved to the new Landsdowne School. In 1964, the land and building were returned to Mr. Carmen Grier, gandson of the original donor, as had been stipulated in the original agreement.
S.S. No. 4 Front of Escott - Legg's School
The original school building here was at the north-east corner of Marble Rock Road, corner of the present County Road 2 and Hiscocks Road. In 1892, the trustees purchased 1/2 acre of land, about a quarter mile to the north on the east side of the road, from the Legg family. The stone building was probably built about that time. One of the old registers states that the early school records were destroyed, so little is known of those years. The wood shed was originally at the front of the school, but was moved twice - first in 1920 when a small enclosed porch was added to the front of the school, and later to the back of the school when the read was widened. In 1880, a double stone privy was built at the back of the school at a cost of $42.50. In 1903, a bell tower was added. The attendance varied over the years. In 1937, there were only 7 pupils, but in 1958, there were 38 in six grades, the overflow being transferred to other schools. The last teacher at Legg's was Mrs. Janet Lindsay. The school closed in June 1960, and the students transferred to William Hiscocks, just a short distance down the road. The building remained empty for some years before it was sold and turned into a residence.
S.S. No. 5 Front of Escott - Wilstead School
The original schoolhouse, S. S. No. 5 was a stone building. Early teachers were Rebecca Cornett, May Martin, Philip Heaslip (later magistrate in Gananoque) and Thomas Butterfield who gave his name to Butterfield's Hill at the south end of the Cliff Road. The stonework of this first school was inferior and it was replaced in 1887 with a frame structure that was used until the late 1950's when Hiscock's School was built.
- Ebenezer SchoolS.S. No. 6 Front of Escott
Ebenezer School first stood on the north east corner of the present Landsdowne Cemetery. It was moved to its present location on land purchased from William Day about 1886. Improvements to the school included the installation of chemical toilets in 1934, drilling a new well in 1944 and a music program in 1936. The last teacher in Egenezer was Wilma Steacy (Hartley). The school closed in 1957 and the pupils were transported to Lansdowne. The building was sold in 1960 and converted into a house.
S.S. No. 7 Front of Escott - Oakville School
Oakville school was known at one time as Porcupine School. It was located on Lot 13, Concession 1, on the north side of the present 1000 Island Parkway, at that time River Road, just west of Flagg's Creek. Walling's 1861 map shows a school in this location, but it could have been an earlier log one. The school still had 17 pupils when it closed in 1957. They were transported to Landsdowne. The last teacher at Oakville was Gertrude Doyle. In 1960, the building was sold to Charlie Donevan and converted into a home.
S.S. No. 8 Front of Escott
S.S. No. 9 Front of Escott - Grenadier Island School
S.S. No. 10 Front of Escott
S.S. No. 11 Front of Escott - South Lake School
The first school in the area was the log school mentioned in Taylor School. In 1864, a grant of land was obtained on the south-west corner of lot 5 concession 4 on South Lake Road. The first building was of log. It was replaced by a stone building which was poorly constructed. This building was replaced by a frame building set on the ground. It was built to the east of the former building. About 1925, a basement was built under the school and a furnace installed. Electricity was installed in 1929. South Lake School closed in December 1965, and the students were transferred to William Hiscocks.
S.S. No. 12 Front of Escott
There had been a school house on Grenadier Island since 1850. A new one-room frame school with an outhouse was constructed in the late nineteenth century in the center of the island on the main road. This building is not the 1822 schoolhouse of log construction, which stood farther east, closer to Basin Harbor. The last school, which still stands, was built in 1925 to the west of the original, about the centre of the island. It was a shingled frame structure with a basement. When it closed in 1964, there were only three students. They had to be transported to Rockport y boat. Because this was difficult, especially in winter, the families with children decided to move from the island. Since 1966, the building has been owned by St. Lawrence Islands National Park. The last teacher at Grenadier was T.G. Graham.
