One of the earliest buildings in the Crumlin district was the school, at first an unpainted clapboard structure built in about 1845. Often referred to as the Townline School, it was actually west of the Townline about half way between Gore Road and Trafalgar Street. Later schools were located on the sputheast corner of the main intersection. When the Crumlin Road School was built in the 1940’s, it had two grades in each room. On January 10, 1954, this school burned and, the following year, a new $60,000 Crumlin Public School opened. When, almost twenty years later, this school was closed in 1973, the 125 students were transferred to Leesboro Public School in West Nissouri township and Northdale Public School in Dorchester. Excerpt taken from “Vanished Villages of Middlesex” Copyright @2002 Jennifer Grainger
The new school was built on land purchased from Mr. James Byers (3-4 acres for $4000), on the northeast corner of Crumlin Side Road and Trafalgar Street. William Byers cutting the ribbon. The school was opened with approximately 100 students from London and North Dorchester Townships attending. The school was built for a cost of $54,000. It was jointly financed by both townships and was known as United School Section 1 London and Dorchester. Murray McNeil was the Principal and Mrs. Beatrice Noble was in charge of Junior Room. The school board consisted of Mr. George Hodgins, Mr. Edison Bell, Mr. Harold Loveless and Mr. James Byers. Initially only three of the four rooms were used for classes, the forth was used only as Mrs Hogarth's music room or for square dancing until 1959 when there was enough students to warrant utilizing the 4th classroom year round. The student body count was probably up to 150 by then. During the next ten years Principals of the school were Mrs. Marguerite Roberts, Mrs. Margaret Smith, Mr. Gordon Gallagher, Mrs. Muriel Steinbeck and Mr. Stephen Wannamaker. The teachers of Junior Room were Mrs. Marie Banks, Miss Eleanor Drope, Mrs. Marie Schultz, Mrs. Myrna (Noe) Shier, Mrs. Jean Willadsen, Mr. Ray Kenney, Miss Ann Irwin, Mrs. Hilda Ryann, Mr. Ross McDonald, and Miss Linda Buckstone. Harry Graham acted as custodian. Mrs. Archie Hoggarth was music teacher and School Inspectors were Mr. Griffith and Mr. Slotshauer. In 1972-73 the Crumlin Public School was closed and those students living on the east side of Crumlin Sideroad (North Dorchester Township) were bussed to Northdale Public School in Dorchester while those living on the west side (London Township) went to Trafalgar Heights Public School. Ronald Hawthorne was the final custodian (1960-1973) of Crumlin Public School. He rescued four large pictures of a Christmas Concert dating possibly from 1956-57. (history courtesy of the research done by Mrs. Kathleen Bell and Mrs. Bernice Logan ) excerpt taken from Robert Logan Copyright @2014
