Today's Paterson photo is of the public school built in 1877. During 1865 moves were made to establish a National School at Paterson. Plans were drawn up and in 1866 a site was purchased but nothing more was done due to a shortage of funds. In 1874 the closure of the Church of England school at Paterson provided the impetus to establish the Paterson Public School. It opened on 19 April 1875 with 30 pupils and by the end of the year there were 81 pupils. Initially the school operated from the Oddfellows Hall, paying a rental of nine shillings per week
Land for a permanent school was purchased in October 1876, building started in 1877 and completed in October 1878. The new school opened on 12 October 1878. and a weather shed was built in 1881.
Is Paterson still a place that is lived in and thriving or is it kept mostly as an historical village with just a few people living there? I am really enjoying all this historical buildings.
@casablanca Not really thriving any more. After European settlement Paterson was mainly a farming and timber cutting settlement known for its abundance of red cedar trees. Now it is mainly a historical township and serves the local farmers of the area. With just a population of 345 people it isn't really thriving any more.
