Geographic location: Lot 21, Conc. 4, Stanhope

Current address: 1703 North Shore Road, Algonquin Highlands

Date range: 1921 - 1966

Interesting facts:

 Also called the Beech Lake School. It included the inscription 'S.S. No. 5 Stanhope: on the stairs which industrious workers had spelled out with empty copper gun shells. There were 18 students registered the first year. The first teacher taught eight grades in one room and used concerts to raise money for a clock and a bell.  In 1934, two pupils were studying at the grade 10 level.  As was true in all the one room schools during this era, grades 1 through 10 were taught as determined by the student population. From 1968 to 1991, this school building was home to the Stanhope municipal offices. Stanhope Driving Tour Brochure. Stanhope 125th Anniversary 1866-1991, supplement to The Times, Minden, 1991 (written by Carol Moffatt); Teacher's Log in the General Register of SS. No.5 Stanhope.

Marvel Welch, who was born in 1934, is the daughter of the late Thomas and Leitha Welch (nee Harrison). Marvel and her brother Ray attended Maple Lake School House #5 across the river from St. Peters Church. It was a one room school house with eight grades and about 30 students. Marvel remembers her first teacher was Martha Coots. It was approximately two miles to school and as a young girl Marvel simply crossed the farm fields to reach her destination and in the winter she was able to ski there. One day in the winter she ripped the bottom out of her trousers on a fence post sticking up through the snow. She said she had to turn around and go home to change her clothes. Source: Maple Lake Memories by Marvel Welch, Karen Eager and Sharon Lynch.

Read Upper and Lower Maple Lake Schools. Source: Teacher's Log in the General Register of SS. N. 5, Stanhope, Maple Lake, Ontario, 1934-1944

Public access: No     

Current use: Private residence

Photo 1: Lower Maple Lake School – 1954-1960 S S #4. Source: Peter Hewitt’s Photo Collection ‘Lower Maple lake school'.

Photo 2: Class in front of Lower Maple Lake School. Source: Stanhope Museum Collection