Opening Day at Peter Parley School: A Celebration of Children's Literature

The Ridgefield Historical Society is pleased to announce the 2025 season opening of the Peter Parley/West Lane District Schoolhouse on Sunday, May 25, 2025 from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission is free, donations are accepted, and all are welcome to step back in time at this cherished one-room schoolhouse museum.

As a special treat, James Segelstein, Ridgefield resident and Historical Society Board Member, will present a reading at 2 p.m. from his newly released children’s book, Springtime Miracles and Mud. With enchanting illustrations by Larysa Maliush, the story follows a timid field mouse named Leon on a heartwarming journey of discovery, courage, and community. Copies of the book will be available for purchase by check and cash only and signing following the reading. Registration is requested here to attend the reading as space is limited to 25 children. Carpooling is encouraged because parking is also limited at the historic schoolhouse.

The Peter Parley Schoolhouse, originally built in 1756, is named for one of its most famous students, Samuel Griswold Goodrich, a Ridgefield resident who wrote under the pen name Peter Parley. A pioneer in American children’s literature, Goodrich’s legacy lives on through the many generations inspired by his imaginative and educational storytelling. It is only fitting that the season’s opening celebrates this rich tradition with a new voice in children’s literature.

Guests are invited to explore the schoolhouse and enjoy refreshments in honor of the season’s start. Historical Society volunteers will be on hand to share stories of the building’s past and Ridgefield’s early educational history.

The Peter Parley Schoolhouse will continue to host open houses on the last Sunday of each month through October. For more information, please visit www.ridgefieldhistoricalsociety.org or contact aW5mbyB8IHJpZGdlZmllbGRoaXN0b3JpY2Fsc29jaWV0eSAhIG9yZw==.

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