Madison Corner School

HELP NEEDED TO SAVE THIS BUILDING!

On October 21st Martha Cummings, community preservation services manager

of the NH Preservation Alliance met with the Corner School Preservation

Committee and delivered their Seven to Save banner to put on the schoolhouse.

L-R: Nancy Martin, Cheryl Littlefield, Bonnie Slader, Ann Wilkins, LeeAnn O'Hara, Ted Slader, and

Tammy Flanigan. Missing from photo Karen Steadman and Jane Gray.

Watch the video!

www.nhpreservation.org/blog/2025-seven-to-save-listees

youtu.be/k8Uv_Z2faCU?si=uNftuwsw6ohoXhMq

Here is a short slide show. If you have an old picture you think we might

like to add for our collection, please let us know:

LOCATION HISTORY

* The Madison Corner School was one of nine

one room schoolhouses in Madison.

* It was built in 1835 on Rt. 113 across from

Mooney Hill Road.

* It was first moved in 1873 to property given

by James J. Burke which is the current school

property. The purpose of the move was to be

more centrally located to the children who

traveled the furthest.

* In 1979 the building was moved to its current

location in front of the Madison Elementary

School and onto a cellar foundation to allow for

additions to the present school.

PURPOSE

* The Madison Corner School served as a 1st -

12th grade one room school. The 1860 school

registry lists 25 boys and 28 girls ranging in age

from 4-18.

*   In 1922 the Madison High School was built. It

closed in 1949.

*   The Madison Corner School served elementary

students until 1950 when Madison began sending

high school students to Kennett in Conway and

all elementary students moved to the old high

school building.

*   The Corner School served as the Town and

School Library until the town library was built

in 1994 and the elementary school library in

2000. Since then, it has served as a music room,

Colonial Days and most recently storage for the

Madison Theater Group.

WARRANT ARTICLES

2024 The Madison School Board submitted a

warrant article requesting the School

District establish a Madison Corner School-

house Capital Reserve Fund and raise

$25,000 to be placed in the fund. Passed

308/103 (identified for lead abatement).

2025 A warrant article passed to raise and

appropriate $25,000 to be placed in the

previously established Madison Corner

School account.

HISTORIC REGISTERS

The Madison Corner School was accepted onto the

National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and

the New Hampshire State Register of Historic

places in 2006.

CURRENT STATE OF BUILDING

Through the years the MCS has slowly fallen into

a state of neglect and disrepair. Most recently a

basement sump pump failed, causing water to

collect, causing extensive damage to the

basement ceiling and insulation. Other concerns:

rotted windowsills, broken windows, peeling

paint and rotted siding, lead paint and lead

contaminated soil.

In late 2023 a group began meeting as the

MADISON CORNER SCHOOL HOUSE

COMMITTEE to look at developing a plan for

restoration of the old schoolhouse building.

Their mission statement is TO OVERSEE THE

PRESERVATION OF THE MADISON CORNER

SCHOOL BUILDING and TO PROMOTE PUBLIC

AWARENESS, UNDERSTANDING, AND APPRE-

CIATION FOR THE LONG AND VARIED HISTORY

OF THIS LOCAL TREASURE.

PAST WORK COMPLETED

* 1999 Exterior was painted red.

* 2003 Structural work was completed in the

roof area (turn buckle) to keep the building

standing, new roof and replaced the east wall

windows to the original location (2 instead of

4) due to rotted sills.

DONATIONS ARE GRATEFULLY

ACCEPTED!

Madison Corner School Account

% Madison Historical Society

PO Box 505, Madison NH 03849

May 2025: We are pleased to report that our Letter of Intent was accepted,

and we have been invited to apply for the very competitive LCHIP grant.