Residents hope to see historic Alton schoolhouse used as a museum, community hub

Committee of Alton residents renewing push to make use of schoolhouse

By ZACHARY ROMAN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Alton residents see great potential in the village's historic schoolhouse.

The Historic Alton Schoolhouse Committee, a subcommittee of the Alton Village Association, would like to see the Alton Schoolhouse turned into a museum and community hub. 

The schoolhouse has a long history in the community. It was built from 1874 to 1875 and by 1891, it was already serving 90 students. In the early 1900s, the roofline of the school was changed to what it looks like today and two new classrooms were added and used for high school education. When better transportation came around, high school students were bussed into Orangeville and the Alton Schoolhouse became an elementary school.

In 1969, the Peel District School Board took over the school, which then had 101 students in Grades One to Eight. 

By 1982, boundary changes and other factors led to the school population dropping to just 41 students in Grades Two to Five. The school was slated for closure, but the community rallied to save it. 

An association of local residents was formed and 90 per cent of Alton's adult population signed a petition asking the Town of Caledon for its support in keeping the school open. Thanks to the community and Town's efforts, the school was able to remain open. 

The Historic Alton Schoolhouse was then used until 2014 when a brand-new school was built next door. Since then, the old schoolhouse has been used for various community events, like Alton's bicentennial celebration.

However, the Historic Alton Schoolhouse Committee wants to see it used for more than just special occasions. 

The committee was formed in 2021 and soon created a vision statement for the schoolhouse, which is as follows: “The West Caledon Creative Community Hub is a meeting space for residents, community groups and tourists to thrive by supporting their learning, leisure and social needs through a variety of quality programs and services.”

Of note, the vision also included part of the schoolhouse being used as a museum in partnership with the Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives (PAMA).

In 2023, the committee was able to meet with Mayor Annette Groves to discuss the schoolhouse and in May of 2024, Groves visited Alton for a tour which included the schoolhouse. In July that same year, Town and PAMA officials took a tour of the schoolhouse itself. 

In March this year, PAMA sent a letter of support to the Historic Alton Schoolhouse Committee for its vision. 

“PAMA would be happy to provide support to the Caledon Heritage Foundation, the Historic Alton Schoolhouse Committee, volunteers and staff at the Town of Caledon to discuss and plan for future opportunities for satellite exhibitions and programs,” reads the letter.

Local businesses and tourist attractions like the Alton Mill Arts Centre, Millcroft Inn & Spa, and Paul Morin Gallery have also submitted their support in writing for the committee's vision. 

Jordan Grant, co-founder of the Alton Mill Arts Centre, said in a 2022 letter that converting the schoolhouse to a museum would help foster local awareness and pride in the community and serve as a tourist attraction.

“We believe an investment by the Town in the Historic Alton Schoolhouse for use by the community and for tourism will be repaid many times over with social and economic benefits,” wrote Grant.

In his letter, Paul Morin, owner of the Paul Morin Gallery, said the schoolhouse is architecturally unique and would be a fantastic showcase for community programming and educational purposes. 

The Historic Alton Schoolhouse Committee is composed of Betty Starr, Dwayne Jackson, Grant Gedies, Jessie Cardinal, John Paterson, Mary Cooney, Nancy Early, Sarah Haney, Steve Hertzberg, and Tony Williams.

Hertzberg noted Alton is growing which will lead to more need for a community centre to provide local recreation and culture programming run by the Town. He said west Caledon is already underserved in terms of recreation and culture programming.

“We feel really strongly about having the school come alive that way,” said Hertzberg. 

He added, “It's really important to have a museum to show off the history of the past.”

Haney is president of the Caledon Heritage Foundation, which strongly supports the Historic Alton Schoolhouse Committee's vision.

“We heartily endorse the committee's vision for the school, particularly its use as Caledon's Heritage Museum – where historical artifacts and other important reminders of our past can be safely housed and viewed,” wrote Haney in an April 9 letter. “Your plan for a museum partnered with PAMA, as part of the Alton “Community Hub,” would embrace the need for a place to house the historical artifacts from our villages, schools, farms and Indigenous communities.”