Senator Murphy Joins South Windsor Schoolhouse Celebration

U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) was in South Windsor on Friday evening to take part in the 150th anniversary celebration of the 5th District Schoolhouse.

The building, located at 771 Ellington Road, was used as a schoolhouse from 1862 to 1952. Back then, there schools in town were divided into districts; there were up to eight such schoolhouses in town at one point.

The South Windsor Historical Society currently operates a museum out of the former school.

Murphy, a history aficionado, said that the discussions in the early 1900s as to whether to build new schools was not unlike the discussions that are being held today.

Murphy said that the great success America has had is due in large part to public education. He went on to muse that, in 150 years, people would look back on the schools that are currently being built in the same way that the celebrants viewed the 5th District Schoolhouse on Friday.

Murphy, noting that 150 years ago the schoolhouse was state of the art, said that education has come a long way.

The junior senator was in town as part of his effort to visit all 169 towns in the state during the summer and fall.

“It’s great,” Murphy said. “I’m learning a lot. I grew up in Connecticut and I still realize that there is so much to learn about the state.”

The event was attended by, among others, state Rep. Tim Larson and South Windsor Mayor Tom Delnicki, who presented a proclamation to Joan Walsh, the schoolhouse museum chair.

There was also a special flag-raising ceremony for the new flag purchased for the schoolhouse by Elsie Woolam in memory of Rob Walsh, son of Warren "Red" and Joan Walsh Sr.

The ceremony also commemorated Flag Day, which was on Friday.

“Flag Day is such an important day to think of the meaning of when the Stars and Stripes became our flag,” Delnicki said.