Dozens of people walked through the doors of the George Lowe Museum at Silver Plume and were transported back in time to a school day in 1894, more than 125 years ago.
The students’ wooden desks were topped with small blackboards and chalk, and Ada, a 10-year-old from Georgetown, was leading the class in an old-fashioned spelling bee.
The former Silver Plume school will celebrate its 130th anniversary with an open house and old-fashioned spelling bee on June 15. Photo by Chris Cobell
Ada reflected on how classrooms and learning have changed over a century later, but it is certainly interesting to look back.
“It’s completely different than sitting at a desk and writing on a board with chalk. It’s fun, but I think it’s very boring,” Ada said. “At our school (Georgetown Community Schools), we do a lot of work on screens, Google Docs, etc.”
The meticulously restored school building opened to the public on June 15th.
According to Library of Congress records, the school was designed by William Quayle and built in 1894.
“Quayle’s extensive use of glass, symmetry, and strong rounded arches are emblematic of the Romanesque style of architecture that was fashionable in the late 1880s,” the record states. “The building was intended to be viewed from the front, as evidenced by the almost complete lack of ornamentation on the side and rear facades.”
The school closed as an educational institution in 1959 and reopened as a museum in 1961. According to parliamentary records, it was named the George Lowe Museum in 1970.
The Silver Plume School re-enacted what it was like 130 years ago on June 15. Photo by Chris Cobell
“I love the history of this town. I’ve lived here for 46 years and worked in the mines in some capacity. This is a mining town, so I’m a part of the history of this town,” said Silver Plume board member Marty Gitlin.
Curious visitors shuffled across the wooden floors, peering into the spelling beepers and marveling at the original architectural drawings and reminders of what the school looked like 130 years ago.
“Reading lots of thick books is a bit boring, but it would be fun to go back in time for just one day,” Ada says.
