Credit: Wissahickon Historical Society.
The Wissahickon Historical Society (WVHS) is asking for your help.
Donations are being sought to renovate the one-room schoolhouse located at 1701 Morris Road. Officials from the Wissahickon Historical Society originally set a fundraising goal of $10,000 for the school that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
"So far, we have raised $6,000 and need to raise an additional $9,000 to accomplish our restoration," said Wissahickon Valley Historical Society Vice President Joe Langella.
According to Langella, the funds will be used restore/paint all the shutters on the schoolhouse, replace/paint rotted trim around the schoolhouse exterior, waterproof/paint the interior of the schoolhouse, and other minor repairs as needed if excess funds allow.
"The Wissahickon Valley Historical Society relies on members, friends, and local businesses and organizations to enable our ongoing efforts, WVHS wrote on its website. "Your generous support makes everything we do possible."
WVHS has hired Steve Vereb of Verco Painting, who painted the 1895 School, and he has already begun to take down rotting wood trim since the walls are still leaking.
"WVHS hopes that the school will continue to be used for open houses and community meetings and to demonstrate for Wissahickon School District students what school was actually like in the 1800s," WVHS said.
Numerous work projects have already been completed, including an electrical panel, better drainage, a renovated porch, and a new roof.
You can make a donation at the website, or mail a check, made out to “WVHS,” to P.O. Box 96, Ambler, PA 19002. You can also donate by Venmo: @WissahickonValleyHistorical.
Owned by the WVHS, the school was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014 and considered one of the historic gems of Whitpain Township. The one-room schoolhouse is located on an acre of ground, between Normandy Farms Estates and the Windermere Community. It is the only one-room schoolhouse open to the public.
The Franklinville School has been a community staple for years serving as a meeting place for social clubs, community events, school field trips, historical society open houses and other public functions. The Historical Society of Whitpain merged with the Wissahickon Valley Historical Society in January 2015.
In no particular order, WVHS thanks its current donors:
Alyson Amsterdam
Jeanne and Russ Bellavance
Marie and Tom Goldkamp
Donna and Joe Langella
Dick Target
Barry Johnson
Tom Boyle
Rick Shorin
Natalie Macy
Alyssa Browning
Russel Hunt and Carol Stuart-Buttle
Carol and Marty Kalos
Marylou McFarland
H. Roy Thompson
Melanie Capone
Jeffrey Lee
Herman Ehret
Peggy Johnston
Ethel Hutchinson
Beverly Hahn
Margaret Monsor
Donna Hartmann
James Quinn
