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Zephaniah Builds A Schoolhouse – Among Other Things Compiled by Ben & Natalie Butler and Donald McKeen Published 1975 by the Little Red Schoolhouse Museum, Farmington Book review prepared by John Dudley
This wonderful book is valuable to the local historian in several ways. First it has the diary, or daybook as Zephaniah called it, for the year 1854. That is pre Civil War and 36 years earlier than any diary we at A-CHS have. The reader must understand that the activities described in this diary are much the same activities that were happening all over rural Maine. Only the place names and the people names are different.
Secondly, and of importance to readers of this series about Alexander schools, the diary tells about building a schoolhouse. Building a schoolhouse was not town business, but school district business. As yet we have seen no records from any of the six Alexander School Districts. We are extremely fortunate to have the “Record of the First School District in the Town Of Princeton” which was printed in 1998 as A-CHS Special Issue #4. Member Rachel (Brown) Hamilton allowed us to use the original records.
Zephaniah Vaughan (1811 - 1882) lived in New Vineyard, near Farmington. Here are a few entries from his diary to give a picture of how he built the New Vineyard Village School. His spelling has not been changed. Comments by book reviewer are in Italics.
January 12 - Drafting a chool house for the District 21 - Sold the Chool House to be built and I bid it to myself to build for $400 23 - In the afternon went to the villedge to look for lumber 24 - In the forenoon went to look for timber and in the afternoon saw a cancer taken out of Miss Wilder’s brest. 25 – In the woods cutting timber for school house and had good luck. It was cold. For the next three days he cut and hauled timber. E. Hackett helped him. 31 - Preparing trimmings for the school house and made trade with L. Voter to make the doors and sash and blinds.
February 1 - Went to Strong to by clapboards for the school house and paid $14.50 for 1200 hundred 2 - Turned six sets cartwheels for L. Voter and one set table legs for myself. 9 - Sawing hard wood lumber for the school house, and paid $6 dollars for the logs. 13 - Went to Strong hand hawled 1200 clapboards with one yoke oxen 17 - Planed clapboards for school house. Before the month was over Zephaniah spent seven more days planing clapboards.
March 4 - Worked on the mill saw and cut all teeth for Z. Sweet 13 - Went to town meeting. Was chosen one of the selectmen of the town 18 - Disposed of the poor of the town 22 - This day found myself at my old table trying to help make the school house tax and at three o’clock clered up the tax on the highways and schoolhouse. 27 - Worked hard breaking road to mill and the wind would fill in the track as fast as we could make it and it was cold enough to freeze anyone.
April 22 - This day found myself at my old table trying to help make the school house tax and at three o’clock clered up the tax on the highways and schoolhouse.
May 2 - Hewed timber for the school house and finished on the 5th. 6 - In the forenoon went to Leander Daggett’s to ingage timber for the school house 9 - This forenoon worked for John Stewart on mill dam, in the afternoon plowed some. 15 - I went to shingle mill and helped W. Vaughan on shingle stuff til supper time. Zephanaih spent three more days “hawling seder” and working at the shingle mill 29 - Helped D. Vaughan make stone tools. 30 - Split stone for school house and had good luck. D. Vaughan helped. They were four more days splitting stone.
June 5 - Fitting the stone for underpinning for the school house. D. Vaughan helped 6 Worked on the foundation for S. House. D. Vaughan worked for me. 7 hawled tthee load of stone for underpinning 8 hawled five load of stone in the forenoon. In the afternoon fixed some tools 9 Set underpinning for the school. D. vaughan helped me. 12 Finished setting stone for underpinning and commenced framing on school house. D. V. helped 13 Framed on school house D Vaughan helped 14 Framed on school house D. Vaughan and L. Voter helped in the after part 17 Worked on the road with my oxen 19Worked hawling lumber and framing on school house. D. Vaughan helped me. 20Hawled lumber from L. Daggett’s mill and framed school house D. Vaughan helped. 21Worked on school house, hawling lumber and framing. D. Vaughan helped me 22 Hewed sleepers and framed some and raised after supper. D, Vaughan helped 23 Worked onnwindow frames for school house. D. Vaughan hrelped me 24 Worked making window frames and other finish for schoolhouse. D. Vaughn helped me. Spent 94 cents for schoolhouse 26 Worked on schoolhouse trimmings with D. Vaughn. Paid L. Voter $13.00 for work on schoolhouse. 27 worked on schoolhouse. D. Vaughan worked. Raised the roof. Borded some. 28 Bought of J. Look one thousand of spruce boards. Worked bording school house. D Vaughan worked 29 Bought of L. Daggett 12 hundred of hemlock bords for 60 cents a hundred. D. Vaughan helped me bord on schoolhouse.
July 1 Spent 10 dollars for nails for school house to J. Stewart 3 Hawled some lumber from L. Daggett’s mill, 505 feet of hemlock bords at 6 dollars a thousand. Borded some in afternoon. 5 In the after part hawled some lumber for schoolhouse 6 planed bords at home for school house 7 Worked putting on trimings on schoolhouse. Daniel Vaughan helped me. 8 Worked on school house. Paid D. Vaughan $24.00 10 Worked on schoolhouse, putting on trimmings and shingles 11 Shingled on school house. George Morton helped. 12 do 13 Helping make money taxes of the town
August 5 This day clered up my haying, had 32 loads and worked 18 days with my little boys. 8 Commenced on schoolhouse. W. Vaughan commenced 9 Worked on schoolhouse laying floors. Warren vaughan helped me some. 10Worked on schoolhouse. Warren Vaughan helped me. 11 Worked on schoolhouse. Clapborded some. Warren Vaughan worked for me. 12 worked on schoolhouse. Warren vaughan helped me. 14 do 15 do 16 do 17 Worked clapbording schoolhouse. W. Vaughan helped me. I went to Farmington after supper. Spent $6.25 cents and $2.75 for schoolhouse. 18 Worked on schoolhouse. Warren Vaughan helped me. 19 do 21 do 22 worked on schoolhouse. W vaughan helped me part of theday. 23 worked on schoolhouse. W. Vaughan helped. 24 do 25 do 26 In the forenoon worked on schoolhouse. Warren vaughan helped. 28 Paid 80 cents for lumber. Worked on schoolhouse. W. Vaughan helped me. 29 Worked on schoolhouse. W. Vaughan helped. 30 do 31 do
September 1 Worked on schoolhouse. W. Vaughan helped.me 2 worked on schoolhouse in afternoon 4 worked on schoolhouse. W. Vaughan helped 5 do 6 do 7 worked on schoolhouse lathing. W. Vaughan helped.me. This took three days. 14 - Commenced plastering schoolhouse. E Hackett and D. Vaughan helped me. He spent 2 more days plastering. He paid Hackett 21/2 days at 2 shillings for day. 18 - Worked on schoolhouse Commenced setting glass. He got the glass in Farmington and spent nine more days setting glass. 28 Went a-cranberrying. Got 6 qts. To furnel of Mrs. Pratt, and then went after apples to W and got 20 bushels for $2.50 cents
October 2 Worked on schoolhouse. Warren helped me 3 Worked on schoolhouse. W. Vaughan helped me. 4 Worked on adz for schoolhouse 6 Helped Mr. Voter finish the schoolhouse doors. 9Worked on schoolhouse. 10 worked on schoolhouse on benches on hard wood and it was hard work. 11 Worked on schoolhouse on benches. Hard work. 13 Worked on benches for schoolhouse. Paud W. Vaughan $10 dollars and S. Luce $5 dollars – all for the schoolhouse. 14worked on schoolhouse – painting, setting glass and fixing blinds 21 received 67 cents for rye this week and $8.74 cents for butter 23 Worked on schoolhouse painting blinds 24 - Worked on schoolhouse putting up seats. He worked six more days on the seats, commenting, “had good luck”, and, “Worked hard on hard wood.”
November 3 - Worked making Master’s desk and made it in one day after the legs were made. 6 - Worked on schoolhouse. Finished the woodwork inside. Paid W. Vaughan $2.50 out of schoolhouse money. 7 - Worked on schoolhouse painting inside. It took three more days to complete this job. 13 - Worked on schoolhouse building chimney. He finished the chimney the next day, 15 - Worked on schoolhouse finishing up my job. Paid E. Wright 40 cents for fixings for schoolhouse. 16 - Worked making door step and blackboards. Blackboards were black painted walls. 30 - At home eating roste Beef and felt somewhat thankful for the rich blessings of heaven.
December 9 - Worked on belfrey for schoolhouse. 16 - Worked on Belfrey for the schoolhouse. 30 - Worked on a sled for myself.
borrowed $100 from Thomas Parker pd back
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