By rights, the ancient Brown Cemetery on Windham’s Chute Road, probably should be called the “Andrew” Cemetery, for at the time it was created, it was on property that belonged to Jonathan Andrew, a prosperous resident of South Windham. He built a home (still standing) and also a small schoolhouse where his children were educated. (His wife taught at Fryeburg Academy.) One of his sons, John Albion Andrew, was born May 31, 1818, and after his primary education at home, John went to area boarding schools. His mother died in 1832 and he then attended Gorham Academy. In 1833, he entered Bowdoin College where he graduated in 1837 and moved to Boston to study law. He served as Massachusetts governor during the Civil War, helped create the first African-American units in the Army.

The school building that Jonathan Andrew built was near the Brown Cemetery location. Eventually, the building was sold and used elsewhere in town. Jonathan Andrew returned to Massachusetts.

A new school was built in this area in 1887; it was called the John A. Andrew School and was located on High Street. In 1894, it was described as having two rooms, two stoves, two tables, two chairs and four settees. The structure was 42-feet by 32-feet by 24-feet and was on a 1-acre lot. In 1925, the building burned and a new, four-room school was built in 1926. All eight grades were taught here for many years, two grades to a room. A local resident, an artist, painted murals on the walls of the basement where long tables and benches served as the cafeteria for the hot lunches prepared by several cooks, who mostly lived nearby.

When Windham built a new primary school, several smaller “area” schools were closed, including “J. A.” as it had been nicknamed. A big celebration of sorts was held with hundreds of former students entering, once again, the old school, which had several new additions.

The old school then became the home for the alternative school, called the REAL School. When the REAL School was moved outside Windham, the historic John Andrew school was abandoned and is now covered with no trespassing signs and is falling down, with rubble where the kids used to jump rope and play hopscotch!

Another historic building in its demise.