West St. One Room Schoolhouse, Southington CT

This blog entry is part of an ongoing project called “One Room Schoolhouses in CT”).  If you’re interested in the history of one room schoolhouses in CT I suggest you purchase CONNECTICUT SCHOOLHOUSES THROUGH TIME by Melinda K. Elliott. This book was has been a very helpful resource for me as I did my research. At time of writing this book was available on AMAZON.

West St. Schoolhouse
1432 West St.
Southington CT 06489

This is a very beautiful one room schoolhouse that is in reasonably good condition.  The West St. schoolhouse was rebuilt in 1762 after a fire burned down the original schoolhouse.  It was home to students until 1945 when it ceased operation.  Thanks to the Southington Historical Society this schoolhouse continues to be maintained and sits on its original parcel of land.

The attached shed you see on the left side of one of the images was their storage shed. Of course all these schoolhouses, back in the day, depended on wood for heat. To the rear is an outhouse about 30 yards behind the school itself. They were often called “privy’s” at that time. Although not certain I believe the two doors offer the user a child toilet one side and an adult toilet on the other.

This building is currently maintained by the Southington historical Society. If you wish to donate your time or money to this cause you may contact the historical society at: 860-621-4811

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The following narrative, as well as the class room picture, were reader submitted by Randy Borovsky, a local Southington resident who shares his insight with us. Posted on 04/14/25

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“As I am beginning to tell the story of what I believe is the most historic building in Southington, I sent this to members of the Southington Historical Society.  Most people know the history of their parents’ generation. We often look with admiration to things done by our grandparents’ generation. Our great grandparents’ generation can seem like ancient history. When we stand inside West Street School we are seeing our Father’s, Father’s , Father’s, Father’s, Father’s, Father’s , Father’s, Father’s, Father’s, Father’s , Father’s, Father’s, Father’s, Father’s school. 14 Generations ago.

The first scholars (as they were called at the time) at West Street School were the generation of the United States’ Founding Fathers. Thomas Jefferson was 7 years old when West Street School opened in 1750.

It would have originally flown a British flag. The United States and town of Southington had not been established. The area was still part of Farmington.

The shot heard round the world at Lexington and Concord was just about 100 miles away. The boys of West St. School most likely fought in the Revolutionary War and every American conflict up to the Korean War.

The state of Connecticut did not start public primary schools until 1798, about 50 years after West Street School began educating the children of farmers.

Southington’s earliest Public School hand written meeting records, starting in 1798, include at “a meeting of the inhabitants having been legally warned” annual votes of how much wood for the fire each scholar would be required to provide, delivered, split suitable for the fire, and stacked, and by which specific day in December each year. And importantly who would measure said wood. Most years it was between thirty and forty feet of wood. Wood was very important for winter heating of colonial schoolhouses, a version of “failure of delivering said wood their children are not to be taught” was annually in the records.

In other parts of Southington, certainly not West Street School which taught 100% farmer’s children, some people paid cash in place of providing physical wood. In 1814, people paid four shillings and six pence. Transitioning to our new country did not happen overnight. But, the following year the price in lieu of physical wood changed to one dollar and a quarter.

Feel free to use my family’s names. Mary Borovsky, my Aunt at approximately 6 years old in the photo, gave it to me when she was 98 years old. She is the girl in the second row with a white collar and shirt that looks like a white stripe going down the center of her body her body under her jacket. Seated in the front row to her right in the photo is her older brother, my uncle Joe Borovsky who would have been about 8 at the time. He also has a white collar and his hands folded in his lap, fourth from the right.. He was one of five siblings on the Borovsky farm, including my father. You can somewhat see a family resemblance. Joe was born in 1914, making this photo about 1922.  As adults, both Mary and Joe were active in preserving the school and its history.

While all the West Street Southington farms are now gone, the town still has a connection to those roots. What used to be called “Vo-ag” is now trendy with Southington High being a regional hub for over 200 students from surrounding towns studying “Ag-Science”.”

Randy Borovsky

NOTE:  Randy is trying to rally support for the refurbishing of this school in anyway that he can whether that be through volunteerism, financial donations or the contribution of relative history.  If you’re interested please let me know and I’ll reach out to Randy on your behalf.

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All images were taken with a Sony A7RV, 61MP mirrorless camera and a Sony 10-18 E OSS lens.

Images were photographed in Aperture Priority with various camera settings.