Port Oneida Schoolhouse

History

Built circa 1860, the Port Oneida Schoolhouse served as a one-room school until the early 1940s when it became the Port Oneida Community Club. This location has long been the central social gathering place for the Port Oneida community. The schoolhouse is sited within the glacial melt-water channel, at the base of a ridge once used as a sledding hill by students. A bell tower sits proudly atop the gable roof. A row of sugar maple trees defines the southern edge of the schoolyard and continues on the opposite side of Port Oneida Road. The trees were planted by students during an Arbor Day celebration around the turn of the century and were tapped by the Kelderhouse’s to make maple syrup. A post and wire fence previously defined the schoolyard; remnants are still present. A functional hand water pump exists as well as two privies. The school is presently owned and maintained by the Glen Lake School District and continues to be used for various community gatherings, still warmed by the original woodstove.