Little Red School House History
The Milton Free Public Library ("Little Red School House") is located on half an acre in the center of Milton Mills. The architecture is French Second Empire style with a mansard style roof and dormer windows upstairs. The foundation is brick. The style is unique to Milton Mills - no other buildings in town have the same style - however it was popularly used in public buildings at the time of its construction. There have been no significant exterior renovations other than maintenance (i.e., painting and replacing rotten boards). It contains two rooms downstairs which currently operate as the library. As one enters the building, the first thing seen is a beautiful staircase that branches off in two directions. The upstairs consists of one very large room, and a bell tower with a functioning bell. The floors are hardwood and the walls are plaster.
The Little Red School House remains a unique feature of Milton Mills; with its unique architecture of the "Second Empire" style, its bell tower and its central location. Below is a timeline of important events in the history of this building:
- 1875- The school was built for grade and high school students in Milton Mills.
- 1902 - The school became the local grade school. The high school students went to Nute High School in Milton.
- 1958 - After Christmas vacation, grade school students and furniture was moved to the Milton Grade School. As a result there was a special town meeting. The parents of the grade school students did not want the school closed and their children bused to Milton. As a result, the Milton Mills grade school remained open.
- 1975 - Centennial celebrations were held for the school. The school got a face lift, and was painted red for the first time. At this point in time the grade school housed grades 1-3 only.
- 1988 - The Town of Milton again tried to close the grade school. Again there was a special town meeting and the grade school remained open.
- 1991 - The grade school closed.
- 1992 - The schoolhouse was opened as The Milton Free Public Library.
- 2001 - The NH Division of Historical Resources recommended the library building be eligible for the state and national Historic Registers. The foundation was stabilized and the building received a coat of paint and a new furnace.
- 2005 - Repairs were made for water damage from a burst pipe (winter 2003). The second story support was strengthened and the first floor got a new tin ceiling.
- 2006 - Renovations were completed to make the downstairs bathroom handicap accessible.