Maine Memory Network

Presque Isle: The Star City - Bangor and Aroostook Train Station, Presque Isle, ca. 1908

"Large desk on right is high, requiring clerk to stand or use a very high chair. This clerk has a phone. A light bulb extends from the high ceiling."

Lincoln, Maine - Lincoln Memorial Library, 1924

"… furniture including tables, chairs, check-out desk, and podium. Many of these pieces are still in use at the library today."

Scarborough: They Called It Owascoag - A Look Inside the Classroom Over Time - Page 1 of 4

"By 1930, most desks were portable, but were still used in the same way as the old desks and tables. However, in the 1960s, round tables became common…"

Haystack Historical Society

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Swan's Island: Six miles east of ordinary - Minturn Schoolhouse

"… window upstairs, and the rooms were equipped with desks, a blackboard, and a closet. The school outhouse changed location over the years, and at…"

Maine Folklife Center, University of Maine

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Farmington: Franklin County's Shiretown - Jacob Abbott

"Jacob and Lyman Abbott's Desk, Farmington, ca. 1830Farmington Historical Society Jacob Abbott was the second child of Jacob and Lydia Abbot."

Scarborough: They Called It Owascoag - A Look Inside the Classroom Over Time - Page 2 of 4

"… behave and were often kept behind the teacher's desk. They were there just to let children know what could happen if they needed to be taught a…"

Strong, a Mussul Unsquit village - Village Schools

"… spent about two-week’s pay to purchase their own desks to assist in furnishing their rooms. A town project was reportedly never so well organized."

Highlighting Historical Hampden - Hampden Academy

"In 1903 and 1904, new desks were placed in the rooms and a furnace and electric lights were added. It was also voted on August 23, 1904, to build an…"

Scarborough: They Called It Owascoag - A Look Inside the Classroom Over Time - Page 3 of 4

"… the teacher laid a big geography book on my desk and another one on Joe's to keep us occupied while she attended to paperwork from other classes."

Blue Hill, Maine - Educating Blue Hill

"The resultant stench - next to the principal’s desk! - caused quite a commotion. Tuition was free for all students from Blue Hill."

Otisfield Historical Society

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Bangor Public Library

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