Since the beginning of these multi-year articles relevant to the history of the one and at times two-room schools of Chenango County, this writer has been questioned numerous times, when you are doing such and such township. The answer is as soon as time permits as the decision was made after the completion of the schools of the township of Plymouth to do the townships in alphabetical order. Consequently Smyrna will be the final township, for which I am deeply indebted to the Smyrna Historian - Robert Matteson for the photos of his township’s schools. It is one of the few townships where I have all the school photos – look for these in the future!
However let us take a look at the two districts documented above and it is regrettable that I have no photos of either schoolhouse. Perhaps they will appear at a later date from the attics of a lifetime Coventry resident!
DISTRICT #5 - SEYMOUR HILL DISTRICT
Again the information relevant to this district and the #6 district credit has to be acknowledged to Catherine Bickford for her extensive research in her book “History of the Town of Coventry - P. 10 -1900-19775.” Without this brief history these articles would not have been possible. This writer will quote verbatim the information that Mrs. Bickford wrote below.
“Seymour Hill Road runs from Route 235at District #5 school due west to meet Bowbell Road. There are three roads running due south from Seymour Hill to the Town of Coventry and Broome County Line. There was also a Town Line Road in the late 1800 which joined Gray and Hotchkiss Hill road (both Hotchkiss Hill and Town Line road were abandoned about 1935.)
Further information from this book P.27 the following is again quoted.
“Next to the Beardsley homestead is the former District #5 schoolhouse (there is a record of this District’s annual meetings from 1820 to 1839 (Stark), Alice Brown, Charlotte Lewis, Eolian Porter and Inez Beardsley, as teachers. When the school house was built, the road ran to the east of the school and the house next south which was an Edgerton home. The old roadbed is clearly visible today.
