Crieff / Crieff Farmers' Club / Crieff Postmasters / Knox Church

Crieff School  

            Public education was continuous at Crieff from about 1845 until December, 1964, and only three buildings were erected for the purpose.  The first school house was of log, as the houses were, slightly west of the present location, on property belonging to John Thomson. It was built on a beech stump, "on a rock" one might say.  Although it was small, poorly heated and lit, and lacking in equipment, it served its purpose. Education of the young was a pioneer priority which followed close after shelter and a place of worship. 

The first teacher was Mr. McDonald. He was followed by John Martin, John McPherson, and John Walker, afterwards well known in Mt. Forest where he taught in the pioneer days there. He taught this school in 1851-1852.

The ratepayers were kind to their teachers. Mr. Mullen boarded with MacDiarmids.  Mr. Currie died shortly after the new school was erected, but his widow remained for several years in the log house which had been built for them east of the school, on the property line.

When the log school would no longer accommodate the increasing population, a larger frame structure (30'x 24',) replaced it about 1856, in almost the same location as the present building. This frame school may have been enlarged because at the front, near the teacher's desk, was a six inch dip in the floor.  The construction of this second building would have coincided with the designation of Crieff as School Section Six. 

By our standards the exterior would be considered a unfinished product;  the boards, with random knots, were placed horizontally.  To announce classes, the teacher, not having a bell, resorted to striking the outside boards with the hand-hewn pointer;  the children responded by trooping through the little wooden porch into the classroom.

Three small windows on each side improved the lighting. The ends were windowless; the south end to prevent disorder arising when there were passers-by on the road; the north end boasted two boards nailed to the wall and painted black - these black-boards helped the teacher clarify the mysteries of the 3-R's for his pupils. Students did their work on slates.  

There were three aisles;  the central one was considerably wider than the narrow aisles by the walls.  The pupils' desks extended from the centre to the outside aisles in either direction, each set thus seating six or eight pupils. The desks, built quite high, were made of hand planed lumber, with four legs; the seats were a short board, with four legs similar to the desks.  The teacher's desk was practically the same on a larger scale.

Teachers continued to be cared for. Mr. Walker and his wife lived in the old log school, which was not easily moved.  Mr. Scott was not married, but his mother and brother lived with him in the log school. The children had a holiday the day Mr. McIntyre's wife gave birth to a baby.  Among the teachers in the frame school were Mr. Armstrong, who became a minister of the gospel;  Mr. MacLean who drilled his pupils thoroughly in geography;  Dougal Robertson made a swing for the children Archie Scott (c1865-1947) remembered it between two tall posts at the rear of school; Mr. McLennan was nicknamed by both ratepayers and pupils, "Mouldy."  John MacDiarmid had a 1858 record of a visit to the school by Rev. Andrew MacLean, minister at Knox Church Crieff.  The first entry, February 16, 1858, in a little book kept by the teacher, R.I. Smith, in 1858 tells of the official Examination of the school by Rev. Andrew McLean, Alex. McKenzie Trustee, and D. Monro. Another visit by Mr. McLean and A. McKenzie is recorded March 1. There are notes of several other visits during the year. One, June 10, is by the School superintendent, in his own handwriting: June 10, 1858 I visited the School taught here today. The

The 1874 improvements included a well, drilled to a depth of 82 feet on the school property.  The woodshed was later moved to shelter the pump.  In early times no fence existed between the school yard and road.  The unbroken fields, owned by Mr. John Thomson were used as play grounds also.  In 1874 a half-acre of ground was added to the school yard. It was large enough for a basement diamond, and when young children were included in the game, "run sheep, run", the yard seemed immense.

During the time (1920's and 1930's) when Colonel J.B. Maclean was beautifying property around Crieff, a stone fence was built parallel to the road. It has been removed, but the curved stone in the yard by the former front gateway was a millstone from the Doon Mill, imported from Scotland, and installed in the Mill in 1839.  Colonel Maclean acquired it and it was placed at the gateway.

Also during that time "The Colonel" operated his dairy farm at Crieff, employing several workmen who had families.  The school population increased to fifty students, in 10 grades.  A large photo of "The Colonel" was mounted on the north wall with those of King George and Queen Elizabeth.  About 1947 "The Colonel" chartered a bus for the Crieff school children to tour Maclean Hunter Publishing Co. in Toronto; a visit to the Royal Ontario Museum where they were given lunch in the cafeteria, and the Riverdale Zoo completed a special day, in a time before school tours became the norm.

At the beginning of the school year, September 1948, school buses began taking students to high-school in Guelph. Previous to that anyone pursuing higher education used their own resources. In the last century, young men from the section (the "Colonel" included) spent some time with a learned master at Killean school, Mr. McPherson;  Dr. Tassie's school in Galt was an early school for boys which ranked with Upper Canada College;  the Rockwood Academy also offered higher education. Early in this century several young women drove horse and buggy/cutter, and took two years at the Continuation School in Aberfoyle.  More recently, until the advent of the school-bus, students boarded in Guelph after taking Grades 9 & 10 at Crieff.

Traditionally the school in each section was the centre for many activities outside of school hours, and Crieff School was no exception, although the church was available for religious observance.  The building was used as a polling station for many years;  there were political rallies held in it - Guelph Mercury details the successful Reform Rally held for David Stirton in the election campaign of August,1867 - this would have been held in the old frame building.  Crieff Farmer's Club (1919-1927) met in the school.  Presentations for newly weds, or for departing neighbors were also held in the school, as were euchres, fund raising events for Red Cross during World War II, indeed, any event too large for a home was hosted in the school.

Successive generations of School Trustees managed the operation of S.S. 6 Puslinch, and in 1948 the section became a part of Puslinch School Area Number One.  In accordance with School Area Policy, the school closed in December 1964, and the children have been bussed to the central Aberfoyle School since then.

Crieff Hills Community, the Retreat and Conference Centre of the Presbyterian Church in Canada opened in 1975. Crieff School was transformed into Maclean Hall - the dining room for the facility, with a modern kitchen addition and offices.  Rev. Bob Spencer, Director, obtained copies of old school pictures which are hung in the library area near the old front door; credit must be given to him for insisting that the names of the children in the photos be recorded for posterity.   Now, when former students dine in Maclean Hall they have to pause to remember: this is where the stove was; my first desk was over there; the world atlas was kept in that window.  Where did the people sit at the Christmas concert if the tree and the stage took so much space? 

Many generations of children were taught at Crieff School. The influence of Dr. Egerton Ryerson and the superintendents and inspectors, men of similar interests, spread into the most remote districts, including Crieff. The 1935 teacher, Miss Wilma  Stull wrote of her hope that each child would go forth from it,  not only with knowledge of the three R's, but also the three C's, namely Character, Culture and Citizenship.