A former one-room schoolhouse outside of Roscoe has been given new life and a historical designation thanks to the efforts of dedicated community members.

The Roscoe Free Library sponsored an application for Pomeroy Historical Marker for the former Spring Brook Schoolhouse on Route 206, built sometime around 1890.

The building survived many years of abandonment and floods, but Roscoe resident Mary Niforatos had a vision to not only restore the building but provide something new for the community.

The Spring Brook Market is a seasonal farm market that has the atmosphere of an old-time general store. Visitors can purchase provisions, souvenirs and other items. Niforatos also built a greenhouse on the property to grow plants and flowers.

The Pomeroy Historical Marker was unveiled during a ceremony in front of the schoolhouse on Tuesday, May 25.

“It's all about history,” Niforatos said. “It's history that's almost forgotten now, but we don't want to forget it.”

Dr. Joyce Conroy, Town of Rockland historian and director at the Roscoe Free Library, researched the history of the building and drafted the application to the Pomeroy Foundation.

Colchester Historian Kay H. Parisi-Hampel stressed how important it was to restore former schoolhouses in the area before they're lost forever.

“We're very fortunate to have this restored. It's a bridge between the past and the future,” Parisi-Hampel said.

In their submission to the William C. Pomeroy foundation, Dr. Conroy explained how these small one-room school houses once dotted the surrounding landscape.

They served farm children who were able to attend on a seasonal basis, usually according to the farm needs, such as planting or harvesting. Later, the acid factories and the tanneries brought wood choppers, blacksmiths, and factory workers with their wives and children.

Conroy explained how many of the children at the schoolhouse would have been immigrants as both Irish and Italians were brought in as workers.

A school teacher would board with one of the families in the area and would also have to walk to the school. The teacher or the oldest student would start the wood stove and get water from the well.

If one walks around the outside of the Spring Brook Market they can still see spots where someone carved their initials unknown years ago.

“I believe the historic markers are vital to folks now. These markers encourage people to stop and read about what happened on a particular site, and perhaps reflect on a time gone by,” Dr. Conroy said. “This particular marker would allow the public to remember how children learned all those years ago. A building that has survived for over 100 years, through floods and abandonment, deserves a sign that says to the world it was part of history.”