Looking at the empty and unused buildings of Largo Home Farm today, it's hard to imagine this as a bustling place of work and thriving community of residents. Yet for a couple of hundred years, this would have been a hive of activity and a home for estate employees and their families. It was the scene of births, deaths, marriages and all sorts of other occasions. Many of the residents were long term ones - living out decades of their lives there. Lots of children grew up on the farm and walked the short distance to Kirkton of Largo School for their education. Archives such as census records show the successive coachmen, foresters, game keepers, agricultural labourers, gardeners, dairy maids and others that lived on site. Examples of just a handful of these people are given below.

Eleven births were recorded in the register of births kept by midwife Margaret Bethune as taking place at either 'Largo Place' (the cottages at the south of the steading) or 'Eagle Gate Lodge' (the south lodge house) between 1853 and 1887. Three of those were the 11th, 12th and 13th children of John Sibbald and his wife.  The written record of child number 13 (a female born on 5 January 1872) is shown above. John Sibbald was a forester on the Largo estate. He was born in Largo in 1829. Several of his daughters worked at the Cardy Net Factory. In fact, his eldest daughter Maggie Campbell Sibbald was married to fisherman James Simpson by the Reverend David Malloch at Largo Place in 1872 - the same year as the birth of her youngest sister Janet shown above. A 14th child, William Bruce Sibbald, followed in 1875. 

William Bruce was also the name of the gamekeeper on the estate, who also resided at Largo Place at the time. It would appear that John Sibbald either named his youngest son after him or after the minister of the United Free Church in Upper Largo, who also shared the name. The birth of the first child of William Bruce the gamekeeper and his wife was also recorded in the register of Margaret Bethune - in 1875, the same year as the last of John Sibbald's children. Further Bruce children were also born at Largo Place, including twins (a boy and a girl) in 1884.

​Another family which saw several of their children born at the home farm was headed by Alexander Anderson. Alexander was initially a forester on the estate but became the 'Estate Overseer' by 1891 (see census entry below). The census extract below shows the four cottages of Largo Place listed beneath Largo House itself and the Coachman's House (unoccupied on the day of the census). The only residents of Largo House that day were the sewing maid and the laundry maid. Of the four cottages of Largo Place, one was unoccupied, one filled by the 'farm manager' and his large family, another was occupied by Anderson the overseer and the other by Robert Smith the gardener and his wife Annie.
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Robert Smith was a long serving gardener on Largo Estate who lived at Largo Place for decades. In 1886 he married Annie Greig Welsh, daughter of Lower Largo Postmaster Alexander Welsh. The pair were both extremely active in the Good Templars. Mr Smith was the 'Deputy Grand Chief Templar' of the Robinson Crusoe Lodge and Mrs Smith (pictured further below) was the 'Superintendent of the Juvenile Templars' at the time that the North East Fife Good Templar Guide of 1898 was published (see extract below). 
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Of the many events that took place at Largo Place, a couple of examples are given below. A Grand Floral Fete in 1899 was opened by architect of the Lundin Links Hotel, P.L. Henderson (advertised on the front page of the 17 August Leven Advertiser). In August of 1905 the Juvenile Templars were entertained at Largo House, assembling at Largo Place before marching to an estate field for games, tea and treats. See 17 August Leven Advertiser piece below. Various estate folks were present for the occasion, which surely took place thanks to the Smiths.  Robert Smith died at Largo Place in 1919. More on the Smiths and the Good Templars organisation to follow in the near future. 
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These two Lundin Links street scenes featured on a multi-view postcard. The above (circa 1908) is the junction of Leven Road, Emsdorf Street and Links Road, looking down towards Peacehaven (originally Mr Gerrard's Villas) in the centre distance. It's a busy scene filled with people (not cars like today) plus a horse and cart. An aproned man is pushing some provisions in the direction of the cart - perhaps ready for the daily delivery of grocery orders from one of the shops. A lady with children is walking down near Crescent Road, while some very smartly dressed women are passing by Hogg's Pharmacy. Might they have been heading to the Lundin Links Hotel from the railway station? The Pharmacy and its neighbouring buildings replaced old cottages in 1903. The year 1903 also saw the telephone arrive in Lundin Links - note the huge telegraph pole on the right of the shot.

The second scene takes place at the junction of Crescent Road, Leven Road and Woodielea Road (not a place to linger in the middle of the road these days). Note the contrast between the playful school girls headed in the direction of Lundin Mill School and the prim looking ladies facing the camera, crossing the main road. The house on the corner to the right is Aldersyde (then occupied by the Gullands). There is a notice attached to the railings of this house - maybe advertising the Gullands' business along the street. Next to Aldersyde is Heatherlie. It's fun to imagine who all the people in these images were and what they were all doing on that one day from a bygone era.

The above photograph is part of Historic Environment Scotland's Canmore collection but was originally part of a private collection. It's dated as circa 1890, which tallies with what we can see in the image. Firstly, the image was certainly captured after 1888, as the stone-built "W.C. for the benefit of sailors and fishers" can be seen on the right hand edge below the lamp.  Another clue to the date is the registration 'KY 478' on the sail of the fishing boat on the right. This vessel was sold to Messrs G.R. and W. Jamieson of Shetland in 1901 (see 18 May Shetland Times below) so the image was taken prior to that date.

In the background, under the right hand arch of the viaduct is the old wooden footbridge over the Keil Burn. Different versions of this footbridge existed up until 1914. The photographer has clearly waited for a train to pass over the viaduct before committing to the picture. The engine is a pleasingly old-looking one - reminiscent of a toy train to modern eyes. There a lot of people in the scene, including a group of men taking a rest on the right, a young girl heading for the end of the pier and several men (and possibly boys) congregating around one of the fishing boats. It's not too hard to imagine the smells and sounds that would have accompanied this sight. It's another image that I would love to be able to step right in to!

Summer visitors have long been a feature of Largo and Lundin Links. In the past, the villages were transformed during the summer season, as boarding houses filled and houses were let out. Many visitors were regulars that returned year after year, getting to know one another and the locals. Summer visitors put on concerts and raised money for the improvement of local facilities. Following the rapid expansion of Lundin Links, the village became hugely fashionable with city dwellers from both Glasgow and Edinburgh. Some prominent and interesting characters from both cities brought their families to Largo Bay to enjoy the sea air, the bathing, golf, tennis and entertainment.

One of the regular faces for a spell was A.T. Assafrey, pictured above. Born in 1844 in Estonia, son of a flour miller, Jacob Assafrey and his wife Anna. He qualified as a master confectioner in Talinn, Estonia (which at the time was Reval, Livonia, Russia) before emigrating to Scotland. ​Initially he found employment with Ferguson and Forrester, caterers. The advert for their business below from the 27 Dec 1856 Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald shows that confectionery was part of their offering. 

The 1871 census finds Alexander as one of five lodgers of various nationalities at a dwelling on Hospital Street Govan. His occupation was described as a confectioner. The business that he set up around this time was styled as a 'chocolatier et confiseur' at 171 Sauchiehall Street and was "an early representative of foreign sophistication in the city" according to the book 'Tea and Taste: The Glasgow Tea Rooms 1875-1975' by Perilla Kinchin. On 23 November 1871 Alexander married Rachel Torrance Atkins, who was the daughter of pianoforte maker Hugh Atkins (see his advert below from 15 July 1861 Glasgow Herald). They went on to have seven daughters: Hilda, Olga, Silvia, Selma, Ruby, Vera and Alma. Alexander was naturalised as a British citizen in 1876.

The successful involvement in the Exhibition acted as a catalyst for further expansion, particularly in the tea and luncheon room side of his business. In the 1890s several more premises were opened in Glasgow and a branch was opened in Edinburgh on Princes Street. It was around the turn of the century that the Assafreys began to spend their summers in Lundin Links. The list of summer visitors published in the local papers shows them at Emsdorf House in 1901 and 1902; Keil Bank in 1904 (when the daughters performed at the Improvement Fund Concert) and Monkton Lodge in 1905. In 1905 the family were part of the "fashionable assemblage" at the opening of the Lundin Bowling Club. The event is pictured below - the gentlemen to the left of the magnified part of the photo perhaps being Mr Assafrey. Alexander lived until 1930, passing away at the age of 85 at his home at Kirn on the Firth of Clyde.

​When I spotted the above postcard of Largo Villa, Newport, I suspected that there must be a connection to Largo, perhaps involving the people shown in the image.  This seemed even more likely to be the case when the recipient of the card turned out to be Mrs James Gillies of Lower Largo (see below). Fortunately, the postcard was clearly dated and the sender had signed the message, which read:

With invited wishes for your happiness this Christmastide. R. Robertson. Xmas 1904.

So, with a timeframe and a name to go on, here's the story behind the postcard. Robert Robertson was born in Lower Largo in 1858, the youngest of five brothers. The 1861 census shows father Henry Robertson (a tea dealer - although previously a linen weaver) residing on the main street close to the Orry, with his wife Janet Gibb and sons William, Henry, George, David and Robert. The family moved to Dundee when Robert was about nine years old.

By 1871, Janet Robertson had been widowed and was living with three of her five sons in Dundee. William was a 'provison traveller', David a 'grocer' and Robert still at school. Eventually Robert was apprenticed to the grocery trade too and went on to start business with William as wholesale produce merchants under the name of W. & R. Robertson. This partnership continued until 1917 when the brothers retired.

Robert married Mary Ann Young in 1883 and by the time of the 1891 census the pair were living at Largo Villa, which was at Woodmuir Park in Newport, commanding panoramic views over the Tay to Dundee. It must be Robert and Mary that are sitting in the deck chairs in the postcard image, with their housekeeper Isabella Williamson (who was with them for many years) standing in the doorway. The couple had no children.

Long time members of the Rattray Street Baptist Church in Dundee, Robert was a deacon there for over half a century and for a spell also the treasurer. Mary died in 1939. Robert died at Largo Villa aged 87 on 12 January 1946. He left his home and its contents, along with a substantial sum of money, to the church. Largo Villa was joined to the next door house and became a convalescent rest home known as the Robertson Rest Home (see images below) - remaining so for many decades. Robert also left a sum of money to Largo Baptist Church and to a significant range of other causes. Clearly, he maintained his link to Largo throughout his long life, despite having left there as a young lad.
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The circa 1890 photograph above shows a corner of Lower Largo that has several connections to a man called Andrew Selkirk. The tallest building in the centre background with the many chimneys is Edina View. In front of that is Alexandra House (dark coloured house with three windows visible) and on the far right is the Crusoe Hotel. Between the hotel and Edina View are some old dwellings whose days were numbered when this image was captured. 

Not long after this, Andrew Selkirk emigrated to New Zealand with fellow Largo man Walter Guthrie. Accordingly to the Leven Advertiser of 31 March 1909 (reporting on Andrew's death), the pair ended up at the gold mines. They found employment making furniture for the prospectors and built a boat with which to ply up and down the river with their wares. They also tried their hands at house building. However, Selkirk's desire to return home brought him back to Scotland within a few years (unlike Guthrie, who lived out his days in New Zealand). In 1866 he married Largo farmer's daughter Isabella Kinnear in Edinburgh. They settled in Leith where Andrew resumed his occupation as an engine fitter. In 1871, the couple were living in south Leith with their young sons, Alexander and John. However, the following year Isabella died from smallpox aged 35 years.

Andrew relocated soon afterwards to Largo, where he married Jane Henderson in 1874. He changed occupation again - this time becoming a salmon fisherman (a job he had assisted his father with over many summers). The 1881 census finds Andrew, Jane, Alexander and John residing at Harbour Cottage, Lower Largo, along with a servant, a lodger and a visitor. A decade later Andrew and Jane are at Alexandra House (perhaps this was Harbour Cottage with a new name). They are still there in 1901 (when Andrew is described as a 'salmon taxman'). The Selkirk family leased the salmon fishing in Largo estate for over sixty years.

House building continued to be an interest of Andrew's and he was responsible for the transformation of the sea front to the east of the Crusoe Hotel around 1890 when he built "Edina View",  "Rock View" and "Beach House" on the site of some old and rundown properties. Forming one long terrace, these properties were built by the time of the 1891 census. The eastern most block was built first and some old photos show it standing next to the very old dwellings that were about to be replaced. Below are a pair of images showing the seafront view before and after the building of Edina View (phase one of the bigger development).  The annotated numbers 1, 3, 4 and 5 show the equivalent buildings in each view, while number 2 shows a fairly basic looking sea defence built in front of building 4, perhaps indicating that these old buildings were considered to be at risk from the sea. The replacement buildings were set further back from the tide.

Andrew Selkirk was very proud of these striking new buildings. The Dundee Evening Telegraph of 24 March 1909 noted at the time of his death that "Mr Selkirk owned much property, which was planned and largely built by himself." Andrew was survived by his sons Dr Alexander Selkirk and John Kinnear Selkirk (a marine engineer). The Lower Largo properties were divided between them. In the 1930s, the Fortes bought Alexandra House from Dr Selkirk and created the Rio Cafe.
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On 22 June 1904, Isabella Carse Paxton was born at Drum Lodge. She was the third daughter of Robert Carswell Paxton and Margaret Donald Baird. At the time of her birth, her parents were 51 and 41 respectively and already had two daughters - Jessie aged 8 and Margaret aged 2. Jessie had been born in the USA in 1896 and Margaret at Drum Lodge in 1902.  The family had recently settled in Lundin Links, following time in Texas where Robert owned a very successful sheep ranch - Longfellow Ranch.

He was one of the early settlers of Terrell County in Texas, emigrating from Scotland in 1878. Once his family had settled in Fife, he continued to make frequent visits to the USA until the outbreak of the First World War. Robert was the fourth of eight children and was born in Kilmarnock in 1852 to George Paxton.  His father was a brewer, and owner of Richardland Brewery on the River Irvine at Riccarton, Kilmarnock.  He died when Robert was still a child and his elder brother took on the brewery business. Like many younger sons, Robert took the opportunity to seek his fortune elsewhere.

When Isabel was three years old, on 15 October 1907, her younger sister Emily Wallace Paxton was born at Elphinstone on Crescent Road. The arrival of their fourth daughter completed the Paxton family. The following year, they bought 'Homelands' as their permanent family home and this is where Isabel would live out the remainder of her life over ten decades. At the time of the 1911 census, Isabel was at Homelands with her mother and sisters Margaret and Emily. It seems likely that Robert and Jessie were on a visit to the USA at the time. Also recorded in the Homelands household were a governess, a cook and a housemaid.

Family life was disrupted when four-year-old Emily developed tubercular meningitis and died at Homelands on 3 April 1912. Isabel would have been 7 at the time and no doubt remembered this sad event for the rest of her life. Life changed again during the Great War years. The family swung into action to support the war effort. For four and a half years, the Lundin Links Red Cross work party was based at Homelands, with Mrs Paxton as convener. Among other things, the group made shirts, socks, pyjamas, etc. This undoubtedly had a huge influence upon young Isabel, who would go on to be heavily involved in the work of the Red Cross and other charities throughout her adult life. 

After his retirement from ranching, Robert joined the rest of the family at Homelands permanently and became very involved in village life. He had already been Captain of Lundin Golf Club 1908-09 and continued to be involved at the Club. Also he served on the Parish Council (chairing it for a time) and was an elder at Largo Parish Church.  He gifted a well-equipped recreation hut to the village and laid out the pitch and putt facility at the Golf Club. Robert, pictured below, died on 8 Oct 1926 from tuberculous.

Only 22-years-old when her father died, Isabel and her two elder sisters stayed with their mother at Homelands. All continued to be active within community organisations, such as the church, the S.W.R.I. and the Lundin Amateur Dramatic Society. The photograph at the top of this piece is of Isabel aged 26, taken from the 9 February 1931 Dundee Courier when she performed in a production of 'Prelude to a Play'. The Fife Free Press review of the play praised Isabel's portrayal of Angela Hamilton as being "very good indeed" and that she "looked splendid in the part".

Isabel was also heavily involved in Girl Guiding. She was Brown Owl at 1st Largo Brownies from 1924 to 1939 but also had spells involved with Guides and Rangers. She even helped to set up new Brownie groups outside of Largo (using Largo as a model that could be replicated elsewhere). This activity was disrupted by the Second World War and Isabel joining the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Services. As part of her role, she drove ambulances. During war time, Isabel's mother, Margaret, died on 7 October 1941 at Homelands. 

Isabel and her diversional therapy work are mentioned in the newspaper archives over many years. Above top is an advert from the Fife Herald of 14 November 1951 for a talk by Miss Paxton at the AGM of the Fife Branch of the Red Cross. Also above is a piece from the 20 May 1959 Leven Mail detailing another talk by Isabel. In the 5 November 1952 Leven Mail it was reported that during that year Isabel and her two colleagues at the Red Cross had "paid 896 visits to 139 patients confined to their homes and gave out 321 articles of work, as well as large quantities of wool for knitting and weaving."  A piece in the 28 October 1959 Leven Mail noted that Isabel said "she loved her work".

During the 1960s, Isabel lost her two elder sisters. First Jessie passed away in 1962 and then Margaret in 1966. Isabel lived for another 27 years, remaining at Homelands - the last surviving member of a remarkable family. During this period Isabel became increasingly involved with the Fife branch of the MS Society and would drive all over the county supporting their work. Homelands had been converted into effectively two houses post-war and a succession of patients stayed in the 'back wing', particularly over the summer months. A mid-1970s view of Homelands with a car parked at the west-facing entrance is shown below.

Ian Marshall (whose mother was a cousin of Isabel's) recalls that:

"The house was always full of flowers, at all times of year.  There was a gardener and his family who lived above the garages which had been stables, next to the public Bowling Green.  There were two big greenhouses and a large and productive vegetable garden between the house and the wall along the Leven Road.  There were well-stocked flowerbeds on the south side of the house, and on the east, and a great variety of trees and flowering shrubs.  Potted plants were prepared in the greenhouses and brought into the living room, which was always scented."

Isabel certainly loved her garden and its flowers and produce. This gave her much pleasure in the years where her own mobility became restricted and so she developed the vision of Homelands being enjoyed into the future by those who live with disability. Isabel died on 16 January 1993 at the age of 88 and left her home to charity for the benefit of people affected by “MS and other disabling and incurable conditions”. As a result of this generous legacy, the Homelands Trust created four purpose-built, accessible, self-catering holiday lodges, which are designed and equipped to meet the needs of disabled people with a variety of conditions. The East Fife Mail newspaper clipping at the foot of this post shows Isabel centre front as the guest of honour at the 1st Largo Brownies Diamond Anniversary celebration in the mid-1980s. Many still fondly remember this remarkable lady whose legacy will live on for a long time to come.
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The above postcard, sent in August 1903, is significant to this blog, not so much for the image of Lucerne Railway Station, but for the recipient and the short message on the front. The postcard was sent to Master Joe Bennet, Mayfield, Lundin Links. Mayfield (along with Eastfield) is a striking double villa on Leven Road and was written about here recently. The houses were built for John Bennet. Joe was his young son, aged around eight at the time he received this message. Although the family lived in Edinburgh most of the time, they were clearly spending summer at their Lundin Links house at this time. Although it is unclear who sent the card, it was clearly someone who know Joe and Lundin Links well. Here is the message:

Wouldn't Mr Robertson take a fit if he had a station like this to look after at Lundin Links!

This refers to Robert Robertson, the station master at Lundin Links railway station. Lucerne station was of course a grand city station - a stark contrast to the small station at Lundin Links, which in 1903 was still a single building, short platformed affair, largely unchanged since the 1850s (as seen below in a circa 1900 image). Robert was born in Kilconquhar in 1860 - the early days of the railway in the East of Fife. By the time of the 1891 census, he was married with one daughter and working as a signalman at Kingsbarns Station. A couple of years later, he moved to Lundin Links and, by the 1901 census, he was living in the station master's house with his wife, mother-in-law and three children (Magdeline, Janet and David).

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Two years after the humorous postcard message was sent, Mr Robertson's station was given a major upgrade. Perhaps not quite elevating it to Lucerne standards but nevertheless quite a step up for a village station. The report below from the 23 November 1905 Leven Advertiser describes the extent of the changes. The "new group of buildings" included a booking office, a general waiting room and a ladies waiting room. The platform was greatly lengthened. Mr Robertson and his family were given an "improved dwelling house" within the old station building.
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The photograph above shows the expanded station where Mr Robertson would remain station master for the rest of his days. Sadly, the First World War saw the Robertsons lose their only son David at the age of 22. The extract below from the 28 October 1916 Fife Free Press tells of how he was a bright young man with a promising future. As the 28 June 1923 Leven Advertiser further below suggests, Robert never fully recovered from the loss of his son and his health gradually declined until his death in 1923. During his thirty years at Lundin Links Station he was "always to be found at the post of duty" providing "entire satisfaction to the thousands who travelled to Lundin Links". He was a man who didn't need the lure of a huge city station like Lucerne!
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The image above, which appears in the book 'Seatoun of Largo' by Ivy Jardine, shows what is now the Temple Car Park. The Cardy Net Factory can be seen behind the many boats pulled up from the beach (including what might be the Semiquaver - the largest boat, resting adjacent to the factory). To the right and slightly elevated is a roofless old building - a former school. The 1853 Ordnance Survey name book helpfully describes the school as follows:

"Durham's School: A school in the hamlet of Temple, erected by subscription in 1836. The teacher is a female who receives a salary from Mrs Durham of £20 per ann. also school fees. It is attended by about 60 scholars."

This provides a definite date of 1836 for the origin of the school and tells us that this was a 'subscription school' i.e. the school was organised and governed locally and parents paid a fee for children's attendance. Like many village schools of the time, it was single roomed and had only one teacher (in 1853 this was Miss Caroline Spence). Also mentioned in the 1853 name book are the other local schools, namely: the Emsdorf School (built 1821 and also attended by around 60 pupils) and the old Kirkton School (which was attended by around 150 scholars at the time).

The newspaper item below from the 18 May 1837 Fifeshire Journal confirms the 1836 origin and tells us that General Durham was actively involved in the school's establishment. This is General James Durham of Largo House (1754-1840). It also mentions that the teacher in 1837 was a Mr Wilson. Interestingly, the piece notes that the establishment of the school had been resisted by many.
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General Durham died at Largo House in 1840 and was succeeded in his Largo estate by his nephew Thomas Calderwood Durham of Polton. The latter died only two years later, also at Largo House, and was succeeded by his brother Admiral Sir Philip Charles Henderson Calderwood Durham. Philip died in 1845 in Naples and his estates at Largo and Polton passed to his niece Lilias Dundas Calderwood Durham (the daughter of Thomas Calderwood Durham). She was the widow of Robert Dundas of Arniston, who had died in 1838.

Unsurprisingly, as decades passed, the small subscription school became inadequate for the needs of Lower Largo. A site on Donaldson's Wynd was selected for a bigger, more substantially-built school (see map below from 1866 which features both schools). The 1861 census for Lower Largo lists two school buildings: a 'subscription school (empty)' and a 'female school'. A newspaper piece (see further below) from 15 June 1910 Leven Advertiser states that "the Durham school was founded in 1859 by Mrs L. D. C. Durham". Mrs Durham spent time at Largo House between 1845 and 1868 and took a great interest in the local community and especially in education. In her later years, she sold the Largo estate to William Johnson of Lathrisk in 1868 and settled at Polton. She died in 1883 in Lanzo, Italy.
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The 1862 Westwood's Directory notes within the Largo section that "a new female industrial school" had been built in Lower Largo, with a Miss Robertson in charge. This new school also became known as the Durham School. Mrs Dundas Durham (1799-1883) is pictured below (courtesy of National Portrait Gallery, London). The marble memorial tablet to her within Largo Church is also shown below. 
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The Durham school remained in active use long after the era of the Durham family in Largo. While control of the schools at Kirkton and Lundin Mill transferred to Largo School Board in 1872 with the passing of the Education Act, the Durham school stayed under the control of the Kirk for many years thereafter. The 'Largo Village Book' of 1932, in its section about schools, after mentioning the schools in Kirkton and Lundin Mill, says:

"There is yet another school in Donaldson's Wynd. This is just above Lower Largo, known as the Durham School. This did not pass out of the Church's hands nearly as soon but remained under the management of the Kirk Session till after 1892. A lot of children used to go to the Durham School. There was always a school-mistress there and latterly the younger children went. A few years ago, however, it was closed as a regular school and has now been fitted up for classes, and here the Continuation Classes are held."

A footnote further explains that it was 1895 that the Kirk Session ceased to manage this school. The reason that it did so was due to the need for extensive repairs and improvements for which the Kirk Session had no funds. The Largo Village Book also tells us that the school evolved from a regular school into a continuation school earlier in the twentieth century. The newspaper archives tell us that the building was altered in 1911 to improve heating, lighting and use of space, plus fit it up for cookery and laundry lessons. The advert above from the 28 September 1911 Leven Advertiser lists some of the continuation classes available following the building's refurbishment.

​Below is a photograph of the Durham school (now Durham Hall) in the mid-1970s. Now 160 years old, the building is still serving the local community well.
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