On Sunday, November 5th, the red brick Umpawaug Schoolhouse will be open to the public from 1-4 PM.

Sponsored by the Redding Historical Society, this annual event will please both young and old alike. Take a step back in time and see what education in a one room Redding school was like several generations ago.

Children can sit at school desks used by the Class of 1920 and pretend they are writing on a slate with chalk. Some very old books and early pictures of the school will be displayed. Enjoy some hot cider, molasses cookies, and donuts by the warmth of the old wood burning stove.

The brick schoolhouse was erected sometime before 1787 and served many Redding youth until its closure in 1939. The schoolhouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1965.

Restoration work at the time was lead by Redding natives William Ryder and Herb Bronson. Renowned photographer Edward Steichen also assisted in preservation efforts and viewed the school as a unique photographic subject.

The schoolhouse is located on Umpawaug Road, a quarter mile south of the West Redding Firehouse and across from New Pond Farm.