The Mount Hanley Schoolhouse Museum

The Mount Hanley Schoolhouse Museum still sits in its original location where it was built in 1850 when it replaced an older log schoolhouse.

This building was built as part of a large-scale expansion of rural schools in Nova Scotia being done by the province's first Superintendant of Schools, William Dawson.

The outside of the building is still as it was originally making it one of the earliest and best preserved examples of Dawson's architectural school designs. This design was also used in numerous other schools built in the Maritimes during this time.

Basically the only real change on the exterior was the addition of a small woodshed in 1892.

Not much has changed inside the schoolhouse since it was opened either. There were some new blackboards installed and cast iron desks were added however one of the old blackboards has survived along with three of the original handmade wooden desks. These old wooden desk were known as "Dawson Desks" as they were made to Dawson's specifications.

In the 1930's a small library was added in the school.

During the 1850's Mount Hanley was a busy thriving community full of ship builders, fishermen, farmers, and woodsmen. Located close to the schoolhouse at this time were a store and two mills located on a mill pond.

A school was needed in this area, especially as families were much larger then than now. Some families might have ten to fifteen children attending the school at one time. There were no buses back then and all the children walked to school in all types of weather. On the wet and snowy days the children would hang their mittens and scarves etc. around the little wood stove that sat in a corner heating the building.

The children helped bring in the wood for the stove, and clean out the old ashes. They also would help cleaning the oil lamps that was used for light in the school, or carry fresh water from a neighbor's well. They each took turns with the chores in the school along with getting their work completed.

First thing every morning the students would all bow their heads in prayer, (probably the Lord's Prayer) and then stand to sing "O Canada". I am not sure if they did at this school or not but in many schools the students would also have to turn to the flag and pledge allegiance to the flag. Then it was time to start the lessons.

Often times back then there would not be a lot of senior students. This was mainly because the students would leave school at an early age to go to work to help support the family or help out at home with chores. Even though they may leave school at an early age they would gain the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic.

Students from all grades attended this school up until 1949 when a new high school was built in Middleton and the students past grade six were bused out to that school.

A few of the more notable students that attended this school included the famous Joshua Slocum who was the first to sail solo around the world. It is said that this world sailor began his life at sea by paddling a wash tub across the mill pond located by the school.

Other notable students included Clara Belle Marshall who was the first woman to graduate from Acadia University in 1884. Also there was Ora Blossom Elliott who also graduated from Acadia University in 1906 and later in 1909 wrote a most important and informative early history of Mount Hanley. You may purchase this history book at the museum while you are they.

The school closed in 1963 because of changes in the school systems, all the smaller schools were being consolidated into larger schools located in towns. The Mount Hanley students were then bused to a new elementary school located down in the valley in Lawrencetown.

Right after it closed neighbors to the school, Alton & Laurette Barteaux bought the building and all of its contents. Nothing had been removed from the building before the sale.

The Bateaux’s found books, maps, desks and other artifacts from 124 years of schooling. There were also the school registers dating back to 1894.

Realizing the value of all of this Alton & Laurette started a private museum called the Mount Hanley Schoolhouse Museum which they opened by appointments. Over the years they added to their collection from families in the area and from other rural schoolhouses.

In 1995 the building earned provincial significance when it was registered as a provincial heritage property. The fact of it's association to Joshua Slocum and Clara Belle Marshall and that it is one of the finest examples of early rural schoolhouses made this a very important building to be preserved.

In 2006 Alton & Laurette Barteaux donated the museum to the newly established Mount Hanley and District Schoolhouse Museum Society formed to help preserve the building and keep it open to the public.

The Mount Hanley and District Schoolhouse Museum Society sponsors several events during the year to help raise money for the museum and for the pleasure and benefit of its patrons.

One new event started last year was the Slocum Cup sailing race in honor of Joshua Slocum which proved to be very successful so is planned to become a yearly event.

They also hold an annual Turkey Supper and several workshops in the schoolhouse.

I encourage you to visit this great museum showing what school life was like in years gone by along with life in a small village located on the mountain.

The Mount Hanley Museum is open daily during the summer months and by appointment at other times.

To get to the Mount Hanley Schoolhouse Museum you have to turn off Route 1 between Middleton and Lawrencetown over the North Mountain. The schoolhouse is located in Mount Hanley, on the North Mountain of Nova Scotia about nine kilometers northwest of Middleton. It sits on the corner of the Mount Hanley road, (which first came up the mountain from the valley in 1784) and the Brown Road.

Visit the Mount Hanley Schoolhouse Museum website for more information about the museum.

Leave The Mount Hanley Schoolhouse Museum and return to see other Annapolis Valley Museums