Just Plain Neighbors: Study in determination: The quest to restore New Salem Academy

[ Originally published on: Friday, June 05, 2009 ]

Jean Derderian of New Salem is a very determined woman. President of the New Salem Historical Society, she lives across the town common from the now abandoned former New Salem Academy. She is also head of the committee that is trying to restore the academy to become a vital part of the town as a meeting place, a library and museum, with artifacts from the academy.

As it says on the project summary for restoration, which Derderian wrote, ''Once open for use, it will be a fully developed and accessible building that will serve the local and regional community with a multifunction meeting space, a New Salem Academy museum with a 19th-century living history classroom, an arts center and a store which focuses on locally produced goods and services.''

That's a pretty hard order to fill, but one grant has already been promised. A Save America's Treasures grant of $172,568 has already passed the Massachusetts Legislature for the town's historical commission. In August of last year, the Legislature passed a matching grant of $173,000. Currently the Friends of Historic New Salem are applying for $345,000. Total cost will be $891,415.

''We won't know until July if we will receive that last grant, but (state Rep.) Steve Kulik and (state) Sen. Stan Rosenberg have been advocating for its release next fiscal year, beginning July 1,'' Derderian said.

The academy opened in 1795 and the building being restored was built in 1837. In its latest years, before closing in 1968, it was a vocational school. Students came from Athol, Orange, Erving, Wendell, Leverett and Erving, among others.

''The last class was in 1968. It was a sad thing. They tried to keep it open,''' Derderian said.

Judy (Pydych) Poirier of Erving said she loved that school.

''Three sisters and I went there. We wrote our names on the upstairs wall,'' she said.

Derderian said that when the building is remodeled, it is planned to keep the names of all student who signed, right there on the wall. Artifacts from the school will be preserved.

When the New Salem Academy was opened in 1795, it was one of the oldest academies chartered in this country and was unusual as an early co-educational school with a mission of ''promoting piety, religion and morality for the instruction of youth.'' Of course, all the time Derderian is working on this project, she is also mother of five active children. I'll keep contacting her to give the readers an update. If you've never been to New Salem, I think it has the most beautiful common in the county, the full length of Main Street.

WHEN I WAS VOLUNTEERING at the Tourist Center of Greenfield on Tuesday, I noticed that 787,620 visitors had stopped there since December 1999, when it opened. The total was taken Sunday.

A bus load of 53 people from Quebec stopped by on the way to New York City. During my three hours, we had visitors from England, Holland and Germany. That's normal, also Tennessee and Alabama.

A CONCERT OF VOCAL and choral music will be presented by the Recital Chorus directed by Margery Heins on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. at Artspace Community Arts Center. The chorus is made up of adults and students from Grade 2 through college, voice students of Heins.

They will sing spirituals, madrigals, folk songs, songs from musical theater and selections from the classics.

Featured will be Lauren Downes, Grade 5, of Shelburne Falls, Sheryl Magdycz, Grade 9, from Plainfield, Isabel Hussey, Grade 11, from Northfield, Caitlin LaPlante of Northfield, a student at GCC, and Henry Gaida of Millers Falls.

A SPECIAL CEREMONY at Harmony Masonic Lodge in Montague City at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday will be the dedication of a bench in memory of Charles Hazelton. Lodge Master Don Campbell said four acres, where there was once a lock in the old barge canal, a wetland, is being preserved by the lodge.

GRADUATION OF 15 eighth-graders from Greenfield Center School is taking place today at 9 a.m. at Greenfield Center School on Montague City Road.

This year's graduating class is ''full of surprises, love and joy,'' said teacher Megan Altshuler.

''I'm glad I'm going to high school,'' said graduate Katie Sperry, ''but I'm also going to miss Center School. I learned a lot about myself and a lot academically, as well.'' The graduation ceremony is including presentations about and by each student. Each graduate is being given a silver ring. Also, the graduates will present a swing set to the school during the ceremony.

CALLING ALL RED SOX FANS ... the Friends of the Greenfield Public Library will sell raffle tickets outside of Greenfield High School on election day, Tuesday. You will have a chance to see a Red Sox-Cleveland Indians game.

The group will be sharing a table with the GHS library, which will be selling raffle tickets for three baskets. One of the baskets will sell Red Sox paraphernalia that can be used to enjoy a game from the comfort of your own home.

A READER IS LOOKING for the name of someone in Bernardston who collects the cents-off grocery coupons to send to people in the service. I remember they are accepted at the PX even if the dates have expired and can be used up to six months afterward. If you can help, let me know at the number with my column.

FROM BECCA KING ... ''Have you seen Greening Greenfield's sandwich board footprint on the Common and now at the Four Corners at the head of Federal and Silver streets? It is announcing the 10 percent challenge that Greening Greenfield has invited the town to join.

''In less than two months we are already one-fourth of the way toward our goal of enlisting 800 household/businesses to commit to reducing their energy use by 10 percent by 2010.

''We aim to go over the top. Watch the green marker climb and join us.''

THE COLRAIN CENTER SCHOOL PTO has collected 1,047 pairs of socks in two years, exceeding its goal of 1,000. They are being delivered to the West County Food Pantry, which is part of the Center for Self Reliance.

''The children and staff are pretty excited. They really had fun helping,'' said PTO member Tammy Szafran.

Irmarie Jones has been a member of the newsroom staff since 1969 and a columnist since 1977. You can reach her at: ijones@recorder.com.

 

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