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History of Richmond Elementary

Richmond School 1887

The original Richmond School was a two-story wooden building constructed in 1887. It was largely built with the help of Mr. Norman Richmond, one of the owners of the Richmond Paper Mill, a precursor to the Appleton Paper Company.

Richmond School had the capacity for 90 children, most often kindergarten, first, and second grades occupied the school. School started in the fall and ended the following June. Most students only attended during the winter months, as they were needed for farm work. A fire in 1924 closed the school until a new stack was installed.

In 1951, after years of over-crowded conditions, Richmond parents and Head Teacher Miss Viola Pelzer formed the first Richmond School PTA and met with Superintendent J.P. Mann to plan for a new building. Finally in fall of 1953, Richmond School opened it doors to kindergarten through fifth grade students. The building was expanded with four classrooms and a new library in 1959. A portable classroom was set up in 1988 to ease further crowding. A referendum in 1990 brought an addition of a new kindergarten, two classrooms, a reading classroom, a guidance room and an art/music room. Another referendum recently provided a new gym. The old gym is currently being utilized as a multi-purpose room.

A referendum in 2005 provided Richmond with an expanded Library Media Center (LMC), a Large Group Instructional Area (LGI), and two new small group instructional areas. Additional funds were made available to remodel the Richmond office in 2007.

Source: Richmond School History 1887-1993 written by Richmond Elementary School PTA Founders Day Committee. -- Bernie Selk