Thankful For Volunteers

In 1968 a group of enthusiastic Rehoboth citizens raised money and purchased the Hornbine School to use as a museum. There were dozens of people who were involved in the restoration. The Hornbine School Association gave the historic building to the Town of Rehoboth. The Association held regular meetings and events. They had many fund raisers and maintained the building at no cost to the town for the next few decades. The association built up a robust school visitation program that inspired many surrounding towns to start their own one room school visitation programs.

My (Dave Downs) first involvement with the Hornbine School occurred when Doris Johnson, the teaching principal of the North Rehoboth School, invited me to visit the Hornbine School with her class on Flag Day (June 14, 1972). I was to start my first teaching position in the Third Grade at the North Rehoboth School that September. That visit to the Hornbine School was my first full-day introduction to Rehoboth! I fell in love with the historic building and the wooded country atmosphere of Rehoboth!

In the early years of my career, Mrs. Johnson invited my third-grade classes to visit the Hornbine School. I’ve never forgotten one November visit (see photo) just before Thanksgiving! There was a slight snowfall out-side. The children were all nestled in their 19th century desks with the wood burning stove keeping everyone warm. As a young teacher who loved history, I relished the experience.

During the next few decades, dozens of classrooms, from many towns, visited the school. The school program gradually declined in the 1990s as the association membership dwindled. Dorothy Oliviera and Mrs. Gibson were among the very last members of the association. They were elderly and no longer able to continue with the many duties involved with running the school. I AM THANKFUL FOR THE MANY EARLY ASSOCIATION MEMBERS AND THEIR EFFORTS. THEY RESTORED THE HORNBINE SCHOOL AND MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR SO MANY OF US TO LEARN WHAT IT WAS LIKE IN A ONE ROOM SCHOOL.

In the late 1990s, Beverly Pettine, from East Providence, rescued the Hornbine School Program. She conscientiously taught classes, cared for the building and finances, as well as opening the school to the public every other Sunday for the next seventeen years! Some years, over eight hundred school children participated in “old time” activities at the school. Of note is the fact that Beverly Pettine, spent many hours collecting printed materials, old photographs and information related to the Hornbine School. She created a series of binders for future interested historians to view. These binders have captured the history of the Hornbine School and are available to be viewed at the Carpenter Museum. I’M THANKFUL FOR BEVERLY PETTINE’S MANY YEARS OF SELFLESS EFFORTS!

Cathy Potter stepped in as director of the museum when Beverly Pettine retired. Cathy had been the Rehoboth Historic Commission’s liaison to the Hornbine School for many years. In that capacity, she had overseen several of the improvements which included a new roof, new shutters and painting the building. Mrs. Potter recruited new teachers, and diversified several of the other responsibilities. Cathy continued to oversee improvements to the building. They included having the floor reinforced; new foundation vents installed; painting the building; replacing the front door; resurfacing of the ceiling; updating the electrical system; installing an electrical heating system and she had the outhouse pumped out for the first time in over fifty years! I’M THANKFUL FOR CATHY POTTER’S EFFORTS, DEDICATION AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE HORNBINE SCHOOL PROGRAM.

Dawn Houlker-Azar enthusiastically volunteered as the director two years ago when Cathy Potter stepped down. She has brought about many new and creative ideas as director. She added new programs such as our Tea Parties and our APPLE DAYS. Dawn has also been very active creating new displays and themes for our OPEN HOUSES. She has overseen the refurbishing of the outhouse; the rewiring of our light fixtures; the installation of four granite posts at the side of the school to protect students in the school yard; our new roof and the planting of a dozen Rose of Sharon Bushes.

I’M THANKFUL FOR DAWN HOULKER-AZAR’S CREATIVE AND CAPABLE EFFORTS WHICH HAVE INSURED THE SUCCESS OF OUR SCHOOL PROGRAMS FOR THE FUTURE!

My classes visited the Hornbine School each year while I taught. But, I was not actively involved with the association until sometime in the late 90s. Since then, we have had OPEN HOUSE visitors from many towns, states and countries sign our guest book. We have had many past Hornbine School Students visit the school. Two past students, Evelyn Rose Boise and Frances Magan Jones, both volunteered at the school for many years until they regrettably passed on. Our class visits have flourished and waned over the years. The one major factor that has kept the school going is the fact that we have always had volunteers selflessly give their time to keep the school going. I’M THANKFUL FOR ALL THE DIRECTORS MENTIONED ABOVE. BUT I AM ALSO VERY THANKFUL FOR ALL THE VOLUNTEERS, NOT MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE, WHO HAVE SELFLESSLY GIVEN THEIR TIME SO THAT REHOBOTH’S HISTORIC GEM, THE HORNBINE SCHOOL MUSEUM, HAS ENJOYED FIFTY SEVEN YEARS OF SUCCESS!

We have closed the school for the winter. But, we will continue to post pictures and information on our Facebook page, “HORNBINE SCHOOL MUSEUM” and the REHOBOTH REPORTER during the winter months.