The children photographed in front of their South Deerfield, Massachusetts, school were educated very differently than their grandparents. In the early 19th century, towns like Deerfield had as many as 12 one-room district schools. The introduction of grades, blackboards, uniform textbooks, and centralized schools signaled an end in many New England towns to the district school system. The willingness of the community to build this expansive, state-of-the-art school building revealed an increasing interest to provide the best possible elementary education for its children. The design of the new building also addressed growing concerns about lighting, sanitation, and proper ventilation for young scholars.