The old Murphy’s Corner Schoolhouse in Woolwich came alive with holiday music and caroling Sunday afternoon when neighbors of the Montsweag and Phipps Point roads gathered to celebrate the Yule Tide season.

Providing the holiday music were the Montsweagers featuring Scott Ciampa, Doug Protsik, Mark DeAngelis, Nancy and Cliff Parker, David Morgan, Germaine Conley, Sylvia and Mark Wallace, Jon Anderson and others. They played all the time-honored holiday favorites and led everyone in the singing.

This year’s gathering was extra special, because earlier this year the old one-room school building got some much needed care including a fresh coat of paint both inside and outside. The work was possible due to a successful fundraising effort and many donations. “This place has been here 155 years and every generation is called upon to keep this building going,” said Terry Kungel, a member of South Woolwich Volunteer Fire Company. The ad hoc group of neighbors owns and maintains the building. “I think we can all be very proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish in 2023,” he added.

Along with Kungel other SWVFC Board of Directors members include Scott Ciampa, Marla Davis, Cory Gardiner, Steve Gehnrich, Dean Hatch, Ted Hoch, Liz Lee, Jim Soule and Sylvia Wallace. SWVFC takes its name from the days before a centralized town fire department. The group formed 50 years ago and is still going strong today, continuing to meet at Christmastime, for an annual potluck supper, summer lobster bake, Halloween party and St. Patrick's Day/Cabin-Fever Reliever. The amateur musicians who make up the Montsweagers also meet here to practice.

Built in 1868, Murphy’s Corner School later became known as Pleasant View School because from it you could once see down to Montsweag Brook. Classes for grades one through eight were held here until Woolwich Central School on Nequasset Road opened in the 1950s.