HISTORY


icturing th


e past


tropicalia I a fid guide to paradise I sunday, november 6,2005


I the nwspress I news-pressom [13


Old school



playhouse


Old Schoolhouse
Theatre building was
Sanibel's original school
This building is best-known as
the Old Schoolhouse Theatre,
though before it was a playhouse,
it was indeed Sanibel Island's
school. Built in the 1890s on Bai-
ley Road, it was moved to Peri-
winkle Way in the early 1900s
and remained open until 1964,
when Sanibel Elementary School
was built. After that, various the-


ater troupes occupied it until last
year, when the building was
moved to the island's historic vil-
lage. It's said to have been haunt-
ed by the ghosts of former own-
ers Ruth and Philip Hunter. The
last theater group to occupy it
still exists it's simply dropped
the "Old" from the name.
The Schoolhouse Theater
now occupies a modem building
at 2200 Periwinkle Way, across
from the Community Center. For
information about shows, call
472-6862.


To visit the old schoolhouse in
its new home at the historic vil-
lage, head to 950 Dunlop Road,
Sanibel. From the causeway, turn
right on Periwinkle Way. Dunlop
is on the right you'll also see
signs for BIG arts and City Hall.


Hours vary; call 472-4648.
Readers who had correctly
identified the schoolhouse by
press time include Fran
Rossadivito, Valerie
Hotchkiss, Barbara Vander
Hey, Margaret Healy, Hazel


SPECIALTY T NEWS-PRESS
Schuller, Jody Brown, Bill
Christison, Charles Powell,
Ellen Lai, John Gworek, rim
and Norma Hines, John Kent,
Dorothy Simpson, Jack Sam-
ler, Amy Hanek and Carol
Strange.