Center School
1802-1926
In 1802 the first schoolhouse built in the Middle, or Center District, was made of logs. It was replaced in 1820 by a frame building and moved closer to the center of the Center District. This school also accommodated students from what would later become District 5. In 1846 the building was replaced by a “Red Schoolhouse,” which is still standing today at 851 Center Road.
Mill Village School
1831-1957
This schoolhouse was built in 1831 when the Line Schoolhouse closed. It was first located near the top of the hill behind the Library on the Old Province Road. In 1844 it was moved to the present location on Route 10, and renovations made to accommodate the new location. In 1900 the built-in desks, “scarred with many a jackknife’s carved initial,” were removed and modern iron-framed desks installed.
In 1951 the communities of Lempster and Goshen started studying the possibility of establishing a cooperative school. The first meeting to discuss the issue was held in June of 1954, and after much discussion, on February 20, 1957, the Goshen-Lempster Cooperative school opened for classes. The Cooperative continued for fifty-eight years. In 2014 voters of the Goshen Lempster Cooperative School District (SAU 71) voted to approve the withdrawal of Goshen from the Cooperative District. Goshen formed its own School District (SAU 102). Goshen students now have public school choice for grades K-12. Students in 2023 attend many different public schools; some attend the Lempster School, some go as far away as Concord.
