The final bell may have tolled for the Little Red Schoolhouse at 2 Sumner St.
Town Meeting last night rejected a request from the Historical Commission for $45,000 to move the building the town's oldest surviving school from private to town-owned land.
The single-room brick schoolhouse, which Historical Commission Chairwoman Judith Howard said predates the incorporation of Norwood, is slated to be destroyed to make way for a four-unit residential complex this month.
Howard said the house's owner agreed to donate the structure to the town, provided it could be moved quickly.
The commission, she said, planned on reimbursing the town the entire $45,000 later this summer, but made its request last night due to timing.
"The commission is going to talk to the banks and raise the money, but this request is just in case that money doesn't come through until June," Howard said before the final vote was cast.
But General Manager John Carroll told Town Meeting members there are a lot of questions with the proposal, such as where to put the structure and how to get it there.
Howard suggested a pair of sites: the George Morse House and the Coakley Middle School property, both of which are on Washington Street in South Norwood. Howard said the commission also talked about Murphy Field on Pleasant Street, but decided it was unsuitable.
Carroll highlighted a pair of problems with both the Morse House and middle school lands, saying neither the Board of Selectmen, in the case of the Morse House, nor the School Committee, in the case of the middle school, have granted permission that would allow the house to be placed at the respective sites.
Both spots would involve moving the house via flatbed truck from Sumner Street down Rte. 1 and through Walpole, he said. Walpole officials have been told about that possibility, but have not yet granted permission, he said.
Several Town Meeting members echoed those concerns.
"At first I was in favor of this," said Town Meeting member Tony Mastandrea. "But it seems to me there are too many questions."
Rick Morrison said he, too, was in favor of the request at first, but changed his mind.
"It seems to me that we shouldn't be rushing ahead with this when it might create some problems down the road," said Morrison.
But others stressed the details could be worked out once the money was approved and the house saved.
Joe DiMaria said there times when all the answers are necessary and times when time is of the essence and asked Town Meeting members to approve the money for the move.
"I don't know what all the ramifications are, but I do know that no is no and another piece of our history will be lost," said DiMaria.
The commission's request, which required an approval by two-thirds of the body because it was going to tap into the town's Stabilization Fund, failed to get a majority.
According to Massachusetts Historical Commission records, the schoolhouse was built between 1788 and 1800, one of 12 in the district, in what was then South Dedham.
Each school reportedly housed 50 students. The building served as a school until 1868 when it was sold to a Walpole resident. The structure has been in private hands ever since.
Town Meeting is scheduled to continue Monday, 7:30 p.m. at Coakley Middle School.
Daily News staff writer Brian Falla can be reached at 781-433-8339 or at bfalla@cnc.com.
