A Surprise In The Mail For Gilmanton Historical Society
This picture of the 1938-39 class at the Kelley’s Corner School, with their
teacher Helen Tsiotas, was received by the Gilmanton Year-Round Library. An
accompanying letter from Ms. Tsiotas with other photographs are on display
at the Library.
A letter addressed to “New Library, Gilmanton (Kelly’s Corner?) N.
Hampshire” was delivered by an alert postal employee to John Dickey,
President of the Gilmanton Historical Society and board member of the new
Year-Round Library.
The letter, enclosing four photographs, read:
Dear Librarian:
This is the one room school at Kelly’s Corner in
Gilmanton. The Superintendent, Mr. Sanborn, told me he just got a new piano
for that school and was anxious to have a capable new teacher. It was my
first position and I was anxious to accept it–the piano was very old!–but my
class of 9, I’ll never forget. They were all new and beautiful! 70 years
ago. Still remembering some names - Daniel Webster and his sister, the Kelly
girl, a Ruth ...
Enjoy the new Library!
Miss Tsiotas. “Something to preserve”
The photos included a picture of Miss Tsiotas with her class, dated
6/16/39, one of children playing ball outside the Kelley’s Corner school, a
group picnicking under a tree, and the class on the last day of school in
1939.
Mr. Dickey consulted with Daniel Webster of Gilmanton who was able to
fill in details and identify the children in the photograph (himself
included). Helen Tsiotas was the teacher at the one room school during the
1938-39 and 1939-1940 school years. She was from Manchester and boarded with
the Kelley family during the school year.
The Kelley’s Corner School, listed on the New Hampshire State Register
of Historic Places, is the last of the many one-room school houses in
Gilmanton to remain in public ownership. The Gilmanton School Board closed
the Kelley’s Corner School at the end of the 1939-1940 school year, as well
as three other one room schools that were still in use at that time: the
Smith Meeting House School, the Gale School, and the Potter School. For the
1940-1941 school year, Gilmanton’s elementary schools were consolidated into
two facilities, one at the Corners in the Academy building, and one at the
Iron Works.
The letters and photographs are on display in the Historical Society
case at the Gilmanton Year-Round Library opposite the Gilmanton School on
Route 140. The Library is open Tuesday and Thursday, noon to 7 p.m.;
Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mornings, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.