A fundraising effort is underway to repair and repaint the historic Murphy’s Corner School in Woolwich. The former one-room schoolhouse built in 1868 continues to be used as a neighborhood gathering place.

Murphy’s Corner School, also known as Pleasant View School, is on Montsweag Road. The clapboard building, painted white, is near the junction of Murphy’s Corner and Phipps Point roads. It is owned and maintained by South Woolwich Volunteer Fire Company (SWVFC), a group formed 46 years ago, made up of both year-round and summer residents.

“We meet yearly for an annual potluck supper, Lobster Bake, Halloween Party, Christmas Caroling, and St. Patrick's Day/Cabin-Fever Reliever, but several neighbors and friends also use the schoolhouse for coffee gatherings, crafting, and music making,” said Scott Ciampa in an email to Wiscasset Newspaper.

Ciampa is among the building’s board of directors. He went on to explain SWVFC takes it name from the days before there was a centralized town fire department. “This group of neighbors pooled equipment and efforts to protect the neighborhood from fire.  In 1977, a neighborhood meeting was called to discuss what to do about the schoolhouse which had fallen into disrepair. Under acting chairman David Soule, a committee was appointed to survey how much support there was for a restoration project. The result of these efforts was the current iteration of the SWVFC being formed as stewards of the old schoolhouse, which now focuses so much of our local history with ongoing community spirit,” he wrote.

A few weeks ago, the SWVFC Board of Directors sent out a letter appealing for private donations to pay for the repairs. According to the letter, “The full cost for the project is $14,095, which will cover minor repairs and two coats of paint applied to clapboards, trim, windows and doors. Outsourcing this work to a certified and trained contractor will ensure safety of community members.”

The letter adds SWVFC does not have “not for profit” status and is not eligible for grant funding that might help pay for the work, which is why they are looking to both individuals and business partners for financial help.

Along with Ciampa other SWVFC Board of Directors members include Marla Davis, Cory Gardiner, Steve Gehnrich, Dean Hatch, Ted Hoch, Terry Kungel, Liz Lee, Jim Soule and Sylvia Wallace.

More information about Murphy’s Corner School is included in an historical timeline Davis forwarded to the newspaper. These facts were compiled from newspaper stories and “History of Woolwich, Maine: A Town Remembered” published in 1994 by Woolwich Historical Society.

The timeline states, in 1792 Woolwich officials formed the 4th School District, made up of the Murphy’s Corner and Phips Point area. Soon after, a building was erected. The school was named for an early settler, Archibald McMurphy, a native of Scotland. This school was eventually torn down and replaced in 1868 with the current building, built with two front doors, one for boys and one for girls. Classes for all grades were held in one large room equipped with a woodstove for heat.

In 1921, classes in physical education were added here and conducted by a visiting teacher who made the rounds of the district schools. In 1926, in accordance with a state legislative mandate, the school replaced its outdoor privy with a bathroom. Five years later electrical lights were installed along with a heater in 1932. Hot lunches were first served in 1939. Around this time, the building became known as “Pleasant View School” because from it you could once see down to Montsweag Brook. Classes for grades one through eight continued here until 1950-54 when students began transitioning to Woolwich Central School on Nequasset Road.