The History of the East End Schoolhouse

This is the East End Schoolhouse and the Cistern in the foreground in March 2022.  The grandparents and great grandparents and other ancestors of some well known local families attended this school and may have helped build it too:  The Sewer, George, Roberts, Ashtain, Sullivan, Henry, Williams, Harley, Smith, and other families have strong ties to the  East End community.   It is an important part of the history of many  families.  If anyone wants to add more information to this compilation of information or would like access to more of this research, please get in touch.

1700’s – the East End Community began…

• David W. Knight Sr. wrote an article summarizing the Establishment of the East End community, concluding: “Prior to emancipation, all of these holdings were taken up by free persons  of color, many of whom were former enslaved laborers manumitted by the East End landowners , or their free-born offspring from mixed-race unions. Contributing to the growth of this community were numerous immigrants from neighboring islands (both British and Danish), who gradually melded into East End society through marriage or family associations. Throughout historical documentation for East End the records reflect a labyrinth of family interconnections displayed in the proliferation of George and Sewer surnames. In short, by the latter half of the nineteenth century, the East End community could casually be regarded as one extended family. “  David Knight East End from Five Quarters
• It is linked here by permission from the St. John Historical Society and is part of this book available at: St. John – Life in Five Quarters Downloadable Bundle | St. John Historical Society (stjohnhistoricalsociety.org)

Timeline East End School

• 1862   – East End school built by Moravian Mission and ceremony to open

  1903-05   Droughts and Typhoid: public health issues with poor access to water

  1906-1907  Construction of  public cistern for the school and community

  1913 – Deed recorded to transfer ownership of land to the Moravian Mission (legalizing earlier donation by George family)

  Early 1950s – Teacher’s house and kitchen built of concrete block and concrete by government (to replace previous structure, 3 outhouses were there (teacher, boys, girls)

  Sept 1959 – School closed and children were sent to Ben Franklin School (Coral Bay School)

  Vacant for decade until

  1969 –  Governor Melvin Evans had the structures renovated to include indoor bathrooms, and interior kitchen, screened porch for use as ” the governor’s country house”.

  1980s – used as a vacation residence by Terrance A. Todman, former US Ambassador to 6 nations including Denmark, and then by Lt. Governor Derek Hodge

  1989 Hurricane Hugo – some damage

  1995 Hurricane Marilyn – significant damage, building no longer used as residence

  Mid-2000s – new roof put on by VITEMA to allow for storage of emergency supplies there.  No other upkeep. 

  2017 – Hurricane Irma/Maria further damages