Aquidneck Island, known originally Rhode Island, was once inhabited by the Narragansett tribe and settled by colonists in 1638. Early in its history, the colonists built schools to educate their children, which showed the importance of education in society, even in communities that were just beginning. Today, there are a few 18th and 19th-century schoolhouses on the island that remain. If you’ve ever passed one of these buildings and wondered what they were, keep reading! Covered here are three of those fascinating relics of the past: Peabody School (1794), the Paradise School (1875), and the Witherbee School (1892).
X
Peabody School (1794)
The Peabody School of Middletown, Rhode Island was built in 1794 and is the oldest existing school in the town. It is located on Third Beach Road and today serves as a private residence (which it converted to around 1928). Unfortunately, an extensive history does not exist about the school; however, its bright red exterior is hard to miss and it stands as a beautiful example of colonial architecture.
X
Paradise School (1875)
The Paradise School of Middletown, Rhode Island sits on the corner of Paradise and Prospect Avenues. The land it was built on was purchased from the Whitman family on August 30, 1875 by the 4th School District. The 38 ft x 25 ft one room schoolhouse was built in 1875 and the first class began on December 20, 1875. It could accommodate up to 42 students from ages 7 to 16. The school was in session from 9am – 12pm & 1pm – 4pm.
Paradise School remained an active house of learning until 1955. Today, it remains nearly untouched. The only exception is a rebuilt bell tower, because the original bell tower was destroyed in a hurricane in 1954. In 1976, the schoolhouse came under ownership of the Middletown Historical Society who now use it as its headquarters.
The Paradise School sits on the edge of Paradise Valley Park. The land that the park sits was bequeathed to the town of Middletown by Ruth A. Wetherell in 1928. Today, the park has a great walking trail and the historic Boyd’s Mill. Boyd’s Mill was originally built in 1810 in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. Late in the 20th century it was dismantled and moved to Paradise Park where after a seven year restoration project, was reopened as a historic mill in 1999.
X
Witherbee School (1892)
The Witherbee School is a 1 1/2-story gable-roofed schoolhouse that was erected in 1892. It has two entrances opposite of one another- one for the girls and one for the boys (these eventually led to the same classroom). The school gets its name from the previous landowner, Sophia Witherbee. After less than two decades of use, the original schoolhouse caught fire and burned to the ground in 1907; however, it was immediately rebuilt on the original foundation (the current building is the same exact design as the original building).
This schoolhouse was in use until the 1940s, when it closed its doors as an active school. In 1988, the Middletown Historical Society acquired the property and the next year, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, it is used as an educational space and often hosts schoolchildren as part of its program, “Those Dear Old Golden Rule Days.”
Source: https://www.middletownhistoricalsociety.org/paradise-school