Nasagiweya Township
Nasagiweya is the original spelling of the township. Nassagaweya Township is located east of Oakville and west of Guelph. Nassagaweya was originally part of Halton County. When the Regional Municipality of Halton was created in 1974, the township became part of the Town of Milton. All the information below is from The Nasagiweya Historical Society. For further information, contact them at 905 854-2378 or send them an email. Nasagiweya is a Chippewa term meaning "between the waters" (Lake Ontario and the Grand River).
S.S. No. 1
The first schoolhouse was built in Nasagiweya in 1830 on the west corner of Lot 18, 6th Concession. Miss Hopkins was the teacher.
S.S. No. 1 was built on the Second Line at the 3rd Sideroad. In Section No. 1 the first school was "an old hovel which had been a squatter's shanty on the Gordon property, and was taught, or pretended to be taught by one Daley." Shortly afterward it was moved north and "kept in an old hovel on the east side of the road by the same person. He was a single man and lived either in the school building or in an addition to the back where he used to keep his fowls." His pupils remembered a great deal more about the fun they had at school when Mr. Daley was napping, or when they stole his eggs than their their lessons.
S.S. No. 1 was built on the Second Line at the 3rd Sideroad. In Section No. 1 the first school was "an old hovel which had been a squatter's shanty on the Gordon property, and was taught, or pretended to be taught by one Daley." Shortly afterward it was moved north and "kept in an old hovel on the east side of the road by the same person. He was a single man and lived either in the school building or in an addition to the back where he used to keep his fowls." His pupils remembered a great deal more about the fun they had at school when Mr. Daley was napping, or when they stole his eggs than their their lessons.
S.S. No. 2 - Hutcheon & Allison's Schoolhouses
In Section No. 2 there were two buildings constructed; however it is unclear as to which one was constructed first. One was on the east corner of lot 15, con. 3 and known as Hutcheon's schoolhouse. James Hunter taught there in the early years. The other, built about 1837, was on the east corner of lot 16, con. 1 and known as Allison's Schoolhouse. William McBriar was the first teacher.
S.S. No. 3
The earliest school in Nasagiweya was located betwen the villages of Moffat and Haltonville on Guelph Line. This area was one of the first parts of the township settled. The first school was undoubtedly built of logs. From 1836 to 1839 this building was also used as a Presbyterian church. The stone schoolhouse was built in 1870.
S.S. No. 4
The school at Second Line, north of the 20th Sideroad dates from 1863. Classes began at 9am with the teacher ringing a hand bell to call the boys and girls inside. Recess was at 10:30 for about 15 minutes. Lunch was from 12 to 1pm. They were dismissed at 4:00pm unless they were kept for misbehaving or for homework that was not finished. Generations of Fletcher children attended this school.
S.S. No. 5
The school at Second Line, north of the 25th Sideroad dates from 1874. The school was heated with a large wood-fired furnace. Lunches often included potatoes which were baked on a ledge beside the fire door of the furnace. This was a welcome hot treat on a cold winter day. There was no electricity before the 1940s so "white gas" lanterns were hung from rods in the ceiling. They provided ample light during the long days of winter.
S.S. No. 6 - Richmond, Kelso or Christie School
The old school was constructed at Lot 4, Con. 6, Nassagaweya Township, Halton County. The land was sold for $1 by Adam Alexander to the trustees of School Section No. 6 in 1864. The first school constructed on the site was a small wooden structure which was replaced by the present stone structure in 1886. The stonework was done by Mr. Shultz of Morriston. It was given the name "Richmond" at this time. It has also been known by the name "Kelso" after the small village which it was located, and "Christie" after the name of the nearby railway stop. Mr. McLenahan was the first teacher. In 1927, Miss Allan (Parsons) taught 65 students at S.S. No. 6. In 1930, attendance grew again and the school was split into senior and junior classes taught by Miss Young of Westport and Miss Smith. This one-room schoolhouse was the last in Nassagaweya to close as part of the rural school consolidation movement. The building was dismantled in 1985 and reconstructed on the Ontario Agricultural Museum site. The school has been restored to the 1910 era.
S.S. No. 7 - Pinegrove School
Pinegrove School was constructed of stone on the north corner of Lot 15, Con. 5 in 1872. This land was purchased from J. Bell. The woodwork was done by Mr. Black. When the roomy new school opened, its first teacher was Miss Grant of Action. Miss June Frank introduced music as a subject in 1933. The pupils were successful in winning the silver cup for the choir in April 1936, at their first attempt at the county music festival. A new system of school management was introduced in 1936. Under the new system, music, manual training and home economics were taught by itinerant teachers. Religious training was started during 1942 when Rev. McNeil of Sodom Presbyterian Church came each Friday morning.
Mrs. Paul taught in Halton District schools for over 21 years. She was one of the few people to teach under the three development stages of the public school system; local school boards in each section; one room schools operated by school area boards and finally she was a pioneer of the centralized school in Brookville.
Mrs. Paul taught in Halton District schools for over 21 years. She was one of the few people to teach under the three development stages of the public school system; local school boards in each section; one room schools operated by school area boards and finally she was a pioneer of the centralized school in Brookville.
S.S. No. 8
S.S. No. 8 was built on the west corner of Lot 21, Con. 6 on the 5th Line on a half acre parcel donated in 1867 by Jeremiah Smith. A frame building was then erected by a local carpenter named Samuel Coxe, who owned a sawmill. In 1873, more land was donated and the schoolyard increased to one acre. A bell and bellfry were added to the school in about 1900. The same bell was moved to the new brick school which was constructed in 1923. In the winter of 1966, after S.S. No. 8 was remodeled as a residence, the wood stove exploded and the ensuing blazes gutted the home.
S.S. No. 9 - Bloomsbury School
S.S. No. 10 - Campbellville School
Campbellville School was built in 1927 to meet the growing need for classroom space. It was a multi-classroom school with grades 1 through 8. It remained open through the school consolidation process, which closed the one-room schools in Nassagaweya. In 1963, Campbellville grades 7 and 8 were transferred to Brookville School. The kindergarten class with their teacher, Jean Anderson, and the grade 6 class moved to Brookville, leaving just the grades 1-5 students at Campbellville. The classes were further reduced in 1972, and after a decade of declining enrollment, Campbellville School was closed in June of 1983. The remaining students went to Brookville Public School.
