Formerly “Mulligan's School”
SS no. 1 Huntley Township

In 1820, Thomas Mulligan acquired Lot 6, Concession, and gave half an acres at the west end of the property to school section No. 1 Huntley Township. The first school was a shanty with a few benches and no blackboard and was referred to as Mulligan's School.

The second school, built circa 1860, was a big improvement on the first however, like the first school, it did not deny access to the rain, the sleet or the snow. This was a log structure having several 12 foot benches for seats. The boys sat on the left and the girls on the right. The average attendance in 1863 was 33 students.

This structure was destroyed in the “Big Fire” of 1870 which started near Pakenham and spread through the villages of Carp, Huntley, Stittsville, March, Bell’s Corners, Nepean, Gloucester and even across the river to Aylmer, Chelsea and Hull.

Mulligan’s School was rebuilt in the 1870’s as a log structure. This had the same difficulties keeping out the elements as its’ predecessors and still had no blackboard. It was rebuilt as a stone structure in 1883. the “stone” commemorating this can be seen on the outside of the building above the stained glass window depicting “The Cat”.

The original plaster ceiling and walls were refinished in oiled boards in 1890 and subsequently replaced by tongue and groove. In 1989, during renovations to establish the pub, these boards were revealed when the plaster board was removed. These are now the main floor interior walls.

The first teacher was Mr. Johnson, others included Mr. Lewis Canley (1862), John S. Clark (1863), Enoch Bradley (1864), and Mr. Monroe (when cross, the boys would bring him a bottle of whiskey).

The building stopped functioning as a school in 1957. a former student, celebrating her 39th birthday at the pub, attested in the guest book that it is far better as a pub than it was as a school. After 1957, the building became a residence for several families each adding their own personal touches. The late Hartley Green lived here long enough to build his well known ferro-cement yacht, which he launched and sailed away in, never to return, except in spirit.

In 1989, during renovations, the structure was reduced to four stonewalls, a tin roof, and a hole in the ground. This was the beginning of the Cheshire Cat Pub. Like the Cheshire Cat in Lewis Carroll’s story, the last thing we wish to see disappear is our customers’ smiles.

Sources “Beginnings – A Brief History of Huntley Township 1819-1930
By Anne Argue, Mary Kelley, Marion O’Connell and Lisa Zeitz