Recalling schooldays of yore

BERLIN TOWNSHIP, PA — Bethel School, a one-room school house built around 1870, stands today as a reminder of those early classrooms in the small country schools. Every summer, the Wayne County Historical Society Bethel School runs monthly open houses and special presentations at the house. The first will be on Sunday, June 22 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., and feature “Country Mouse, City Mouse,” a free presentation by Dorothy Kieff and Jane Ganatra, teachers at the Wallenpaupack Area School District. They will compare rural education vs. urban education in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Jane attended elementary school in Woodside, Queens, NY while Dorothy was a student at Bethel School.

To get to Bethel School from Route 6 in Indian Orchard, take Route 652 East for approximately one mile. Turn right at the former Indian Orchard Grange on to Bethel School Road. Go one mile; Bethel School is on your left.