DEERFIELD — To celebrate 100 years of the Old Deerfield Grammar School, the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association (PVMA) is hosting a birthday party on Saturday, Sept. 3, inviting the public to learn about the town’s history and participate in historical activities.

Beginning at noon, attendees can stop by the Old Deerfield Elementary School, 10 Memorial St., where they will be treated to free crafts and ice cream while they learn about the school. The event ends with a free concert at 3 p.m.

“The history of education in Massachusetts is very important and, of course, Labor Day is when people think ‘back to school,’” PVMA Executive Director Tim Neumann explained. “We’re celebrating the history of education in this period … to keep it in the public eye and part of the history of this town.”

Built in the 1920s for $45,000, the school was needed because of the influx of eastern European immigrants moving to Deerfield. The building was designed by Leslie Walker, who also designed the Tilton Library.

At this point, Neumann said there was a “major shuffling” in the town’s needs. Deerfield wanted to project a strong image with the construction of the five-classroom building.

“Finances were pretty good in the early ’20s as well, so towns were interested in portraying that,” Neumann said. “What the school looked like was important to their image as a prosperous, forward-looking town.”

For building’s 100th birthday, PVMA has set up a crafts activity with Reba-Jean Shaw-Pichette and her daughter, Piper Pichette, who will be dressed as 1920s teachers and will lead activities similar to what kids did in that era. Snow’s Ice Cream will be on hand and kids can participate in a scavenger hunt around the Memorial Hall Museum.

Saturday’s event will close with a free concert of 1920s music performed by Jerry Noble and Tinky Weisblat (who is also a Greenfield Recorder columnist).

The Old Deerfield Grammar School closed in 1992 and PVMA purchased the building from the town in 1995 for $625,000. PVMA now uses the building for offices, its educational and cultural programs, and its annual craft fair, which is held in September.

“We want people to revisit the building. We’re hoping that people who attended school here will bring their grandchildren,” Neumann said. “Our interest in the building has always been both in our space for our programs, but also its history. … It’s a celebration of one of the town’s most important buildings of its past.”

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or
413-930-4081.