In 1826, the residents of Bedford School District Number Two voted to build a “common school” across from the Bedford Academy. Three years later, after raising $300 (with $50 coming from John Jay) the 416 square foot, one room School House was built on the Village Green. It closed after 83 years because the increased use of cars and heavy traffic in the area had made the school too noisy and dangerous for the children. The school had barely shut its doors when the women of the Bedford Agassiz Club decided it would be the perfect location for a museum of local history. The women scoured Bedford Village attics and trunks to borrow or acquire the objects that would be featured in the museum. In 1913 the building was opened as the “Bedford Museum” and The North Westchester Times reported, “…the new museum was stormed by two hundred and fifty visitors the first day.” The former one room school house was filled with a variety of relics and curiosities including “Tongs that Killed a Man.” Shortly after the Bedford Historical Society was founded in 1916, we acquired the “Stone Jug” School House and took over the building and its collections. Over the years, the Society continued to add to the museum and in 1970 the museum was moved to the second level of the 1787 Court House. The School House was returned to its original state, and the students’ desks were set back into place along with the teacher’s platform. Today, the School House is still a place for learning. Area 4th graders taking part in our “Footsteps in the Past” program sit through a lesson with a school marm during their visit; children and adults take private, guided tours of the School House; and the site is an integral part of our Treasure Hunts and Colonial History days. The Bedford Museum remains on the 2nd floor of the 1787 Court House but has been professionally curated. Many of the objects collected during the museum’s early days are on display along with numerous artifacts depicting Bedford’s history. The museum will be opening soon for the summer – watch our website and e-newsletter for details. If you’re interested in volunteering for school tours or would like to be a docent at the museum, please give us a call at (914) 234-9751. Both opportunities are informative, entertaining experiences and training is provided.
