Madison Corner School

HELP NEEDED TO SAVE THIS BUILDING!

MARCH 10 - Please consider supporting School Warrant Article to raise and

appropriate $25,000 to be placed in the previously established Madison

Corner Schoolhouse Capital Reserve Fund. Increased funding will bring them

closer to realizing the lead abatement portion of this project as well as

allow them to seek and apply for larger grants and matching funds.

THIS IS WHAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED SO FAR:

May 2023 Lead and asbestos testing was arranged with Desmarais Environmental by School Board.

July 2023 Demarais' report determined there is lead on the building and in the surrounding soil.

Aug 2023 Madison Corner School Preservation Committee (MCSPC) was formed.

Sep 2023 MCSPC submitted application to the NH Preservation Alliance's Seven to Save program.

Oct 2023 The Corner School did not make the Seven to Save listing.

Mar 2024 The Madison School District voted 308 to 126 in favor of raising & appropriating $25,000

to be placed in the Madison Schoolhouse Capital Reserve Fund.

May 2024 MCSPC partnered with the Madison Historical Society, thus sharing the 501c3 nonprofit

status, in order to begin fundraising and accepting donations.

Dec 2024 Attended the Madison School PTO Holiday Fair to raise awareness. $41 donations.

Mar 2025 Madison School District voted 354 to 223 to raise & appropriate another $25,000.

Apr 2025 Began exploring costs to address deteriorating exterior. (Local estimate was $20,000.)

Jun 2025 Submitted grant application for $23,000 to NH Land & Community Heritage Investment

Program (LCHIP).

Jul 2025 Removed all Madison School theater costumes which were stored in schoolhouses to a

storage shed. Removed and donated all stored surplus school equipment.

Aug 2025 Resubmitted application to NH Preservation Alliance's Seven to Save program.

Attended Old Home Week Community Fair & raised $418.

Held Corner School Open House, had 50 visitors, $330.

Sep 2025 Held Corner School Open House, had 50 visitors, raised $126.

Oct 2025 Corner School chosen as a Seven to Save listee.

Nov 2025 $23,000 LCHIP grant declined in part to lacking a Qualified Preservation Plan (QPP) by

a Historic Building Consultant.

Hired Snell Brothers to clean mildewed ceiling and insulation material from basement.

Dec 2025 - Applied for a Preservation Assessment Grant and was awarded $4200.

Started arranging for a Historic Building Consultant to create a QPP.

Attended the Madison School PTO Holiday Fair and raised $364.

AS OF 12/31/25 THE COMMITTEE HAS RAISED $14,261.61 THROUGH PRIVATE DONATIONS & FUNDRAISERS.

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.

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.

DONATIONS ARE GRATEFULLY

ACCEPTED!

Madison Corner School Account

% Madison Historical Society

PO Box 505, Madison NH 03849