Schoolhouse Museum
650 East Glen Avenue
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
(201) 447-3242 • 652-5141 Fax
www.ridgewoodhistoricalsociety.org

Formerly District School No. 45, this One-Room Schoolhouse is now home to a Museum featuring exhibits that emphasize the history of Bergen County and New Jersey in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, with room formations depicting life in this predominantly Dutch area.

Exhibits display a large variety of artifacts that illustrate life in the olden times. In museums like these, with their intimate settings, it sometimes feels more that the objects displayed were once actually used by real people.

In the main schoolroom are the original teacher's platform, blackboard, an 1850 map of the United States, illustrated reading charts, school desks, pot-belly stove, and two kerosene ceiling lamps with tin shades. About 60 pupils attended the school, ranging from 1st to 8th grade. The day opened with the Lord' Prayer, Bible reading, Pledge to the Flag, and singing. Order was strictly maintained and the worst punishment was to sit on a tall stool, wear the dunce cap, and face the wall.

Other rooms in the house, including a replica 1700 kitchen (formerly the school's boy's lav), display a variety of objects that show what life was like many years ago. Items that are not originally from the schoolhouse were brought in from other nearby areas. Wool and flax wheels, colorful quilts, handcrafted toys, household articles, tools and pre-machine age farm equipment, toilet articles, a home medicine chest, Civil War items, and many other old and interesting objects are there to tell us a story of the past.

It's an interesting place for visits by individuals, families, and School Groups (best for 3rd through 5th grade).

Guided tours are available for school and other groups by appointment, in which docents will describe area history and answer questions. Tours last one hour.

Sponsored by the Ridgewood Historical Society.